shack

noun

1
: hut, shanty
2
: a room or similar enclosed structure for a particular person or use
a guard shack

Example Sentences

an old shack in the woods a farmer's shack out in the fields that's used for lambing and as a shelter from storms
Recent Examples on the Web Plan for at least one meal at the beach-shack-like La Chalana, a local fave serving a daily catch and Canarian specialties. Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 25 Mar. 2023 An anonymous tipster reported seeing armed men and people in blindfolds at a shack in a tiny rural community known as Ejido Tecolote on the outskirts of Matamoros. Compiled By Democrat-gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 12 Mar. 2023 The victims were discovered Tuesday in a wooden shack in Ejido Tecolote, a rural area east of the Mexican city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, according to Tamaulipas state chief prosecutor Irving Barrios. Landon Mion, Fox News, 8 Mar. 2023 Hopper, 61, has been making maple syrup for 10 years in a shack in his backyard and has been tapping close to 200 sugar maples in Auburn neighborhoods. John Tlumacki, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Mar. 2023 In Quebec, and also in other parts of Canada, the visit to a sugar shack (in French, a cabane à sucre or érablière) is practically a requirement for graduating from childhood. Rivka Galchen, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Mar. 2023 As the fighting closed in, the family fled to a shack in a pine forest outside Macon. Laura Mallonee, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2022 Zurich Autonomous Systems Lab is a shack in the woods. IEEE Spectrum, 8 Jan. 2021 The now-64-year-old farmer continues to live in the same shack. Rob Perez, ProPublica, 26 Nov. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shack.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

probably back-formation from English dialect shackly rickety

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shack was in 1878

Dictionary Entries Near shack

Cite this Entry

“Shack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shack. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

shack

noun
1
: hut, shanty
2
: a room or similar enclosed structure for a particular person or use
a radio shack

More from Merriam-Webster on shack

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


Challenging Standardized Test Words, Vol. 2

  • a pencil broken in half on top of a test answer sheet
  • The business’s new computer system proved not to be a panacea.
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY