shoulder

1 of 2

noun

shoul·​der ˈshōl-dər How to pronounce shoulder (audio)
1
a
: the laterally projecting part of the human body formed of the bones and joints with their covering tissue by which the arm is connected with the trunk
b
: the region of the body of nonhuman vertebrates that corresponds to the shoulder but is less projecting
2
a
: the two shoulders and the upper part of the back
usually used in plural
b
shoulders plural : capacity for bearing a task or blame
placed the guilt squarely on his shoulders
3
: a cut of meat including the upper joint of the foreleg and adjacent parts see lamb illustration
4
: the part of a garment at the wearer's shoulder
5
: an area adjacent to or along the edge of a higher, more prominent, or more important part: such as
a(1)
: the part of a hill or mountain near the top
(2)
: a lateral protrusion or extension of a hill or mountain
b
: either edge of a roadway
specifically : the part of a roadway outside of the traveled way
6
: a rounded or sloping part (as of a stringed instrument or a bottle) where the neck joins the body
shouldered adjective

shoulder

2 of 2

verb

shouldered; shouldering ˈshōl-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce shoulder (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to push or thrust with or as if with the shoulder : jostle
shouldered his way through the crowd
2
a
: to place or bear on the shoulder
shouldered her knapsack
b
: to assume the burden or responsibility of
shoulder the blame

intransitive verb

: to push with or as if with the shoulders aggressively

Examples of shoulder in a Sentence

Noun He rested the baby's head on his shoulder. He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. She carried a backpack on one shoulder. The horse is five feet high at the shoulder. We had pork shoulder for dinner. Verb He shouldered the blame for the project's failure. The company will shoulder the costs of the repairs. She shouldered the full burden of raising three children. He shouldered the door open. She shouldered through the crowd. She shouldered her way through the crowd. The soldiers shouldered their rifles and marched away.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Emmet Sheehan, who went 4-1 with a 4.92 ERA in 13 games as a rookie last season, has been slowed by a sore shoulder and won’t pitch in Cactus League games, opening the door for Gavin Stone or Ryan Yarbrough to win rotation spots. Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Richardson will undergo the procedure on Wednesday morning to repair his right shoulder, which was dislocated during the second quarter of the Feb. 11 game against Boston. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 The body suit included small straps that wrapped below her shoulders, exposing her back. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 The other victims include a 15-year-old boy who sustained a graze wound to his right shoulder while attempting to flee the chaotic scene. Louis Casiano, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2024 The actor kept her brown hair sleek and long over her shoulders, and her only jewelry was a pair of dangly earrings and her hoop nose ring. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2024 The figurine portrays her with a camera on her shoulder, a script in one hand and her beloved cat by her feet. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 But thanks to the internet, Elmo is now traumatized after bearing the weight of the world’s problems on his little red shoulders. Michael Sykes, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 With over 20 suction cups, this bath pillow works to provide your neck, body and shoulder with the ultimate comfort. Anna Smoot, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
Jack Warner had been shouldering in on credit from one of his studio’s top producers. Chris Yogerst, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 Logan Ryan shouldn’t shoulder the blame for that Super Bowl finale. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 Currently shouldering the caretaking weight of both younger and older relatives, our sandwich generation is spread about as thin as a layer of mayo on a hoagie. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 Both are damaged, nearly broken people, each shouldering her own wounds. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 19 Feb. 2024 Scenario 1: Yamamoto, who was signed for $325 million, successfully transitions from pitching once a week in Japan to shouldering a more demanding workload in the majors. Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024 Now that Heinemann has bought out the entire business, the travel retailer will have to shoulder further revenue shortfalls on its own. Kevin Rozario, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 This chronological gap between event and consequence has undoubtedly made the public less likely to shoulder any misgivings about tuning in to Monday Night Football. Adina Wise, STAT, 9 Feb. 2024 This pleat, which sits flat while the wearer is standing still, expands with movement to give the back and shoulders a full range of motion and increases ventilation in tandem with the front and rear vents. Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shoulder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sholder, from Old English sculdor; akin to Old High German scultra shoulder

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shoulder was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near shoulder

Cite this Entry

“Shoulder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoulder. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shoulder

1 of 2 noun
shoul·​der ˈshōl-dər How to pronounce shoulder (audio)
1
: the part of the body of a person or animal where the arm or foreleg joins the body
2
: a cut of meat including the upper joint of the foreleg and attached parts
3
: the part of a garment at the wearer's shoulder
4
: a part that resembles a person's shoulder
shoulder of a hill
5
: the edge of a road

shoulder

2 of 2 verb
shouldered; shouldering -d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce shoulder (audio)
1
: to push with one's shoulder
shouldered him aside
2
: to accept as one's burden or responsibility
shoulder the blame

Medical Definition

shoulder

noun
shoul·​der ˈshōl-dər How to pronounce shoulder (audio)
1
: the laterally projecting part of the human body formed of the bones and joints with their covering tissue by which the arm is connected with the trunk
2
: the two shoulders and the upper part of the back
usually used in plural

More from Merriam-Webster on shoulder

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