shunt

play

verb \ˈshənt\

Definition of shunt

transitive verb
1a : to turn off to one side : shift was shunted asideb : to switch (a railroad car, a train, etc.) from one track to another
2 : to provide with or divert by means of an electrical shunt
3 : to divert (blood) from one part to another by a surgical shunt
4 : shuttle shunted the missiles from shelter to shelter
intransitive verb
1 : to move to the side
2 : to travel back and forth shunted between the two towns

shunter

noun

See shunt defined for English-language learners

See shunt defined for kids

Recent Examples of shunt from the Web

Hamilton, less angry in his media briefing than immediately after the race on television, maintained Vettel shunted him on purpose.

— jerome pugmire, The Seattle Times, "Rivals Hamilton, Vettel clash as Ricciardo wins chaotic race", 25 June 2017
But many rebel factions have sued for peace or been shunted into Idlib in north-western Syria.

— tim lister, CNN, "Analysis: Syrian conflict moves into new and dangerous territory", 19 June 2017
For decades, patients with serious mental-health conditions were shunted to isolated psychiatric hospitals, far from ordinary medical care.

— ezekiel j. emanuel, WSJ, "Medical Care Means Mental Health, Too", 9 June 2017
A proposal to lighten the way Mobile handles some misdemeanor charges, including marijuana possession, has been shunted to a City Council committee and is not likely to see a vote until well into summer.

— lawrence specker | lspecker@al.com, AL.com, "After 'decriminalization' uproar, Mobile misdemeanor proposal on slow track", 16 May 2017
According to court testimony and filings, Walsh took personal control of the case, shunting aside his lead investigator.

— dennis wagner, azcentral, "Turf war: Feud between two brothers over Phoenix horse track boils over", 14 May 2017
Both establishment parties — the Republicans and, on the left, the Socialists — are facing a painful identify crisis after an unprecedented election that shunted them aside.

— alissa j. rubin, New York Times, "Macron’s Victory Explodes France’s Political Landscape", 13 May 2017
At the same time, low-income black or Hispanic children like the ones at Pelham Gardens are routinely shunted into schools with graduation rates 20 or more percentage points lower.

— the new york times, NOLA.com, "School choice's broken promise in New York City", 8 May 2017
The tunnels, each 40 feet in diameter and 35 miles long, would shunt a portion of Sacramento River flows out of the estuary and directly to existing water distribution canals south of the Delta, near the city of Tracy.

— matt weiser, sacbee, "‘These fish are in a bad way.’ How many more will die because of the Delta tunnels?", 7 May 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of shunt

Middle English, to move suddenly, turn away, evade, perhaps from past participle of shonen

NEW!

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

shunt

noun

Definition of shunt

1 : a means or mechanism for turning or thrusting aside: such asa chiefly British : a railroad switchb : a conductor joining two points in an electrical circuit so as to form a parallel or alternative path through which a portion of the current may pass (as for regulating the amount passing in the main circuit)c : a surgical passage created to divert a bodily fluid (such as blood) from one vessel or part to another; also : a device (such as a narrow tube) used to establish a similar passage
2 chiefly British : an accident (such as a collision between two cars) especially in auto racing

Recent Examples of shunt from the Web

Additionally, despite the $128 billion over 10 years that the bill shunts towards state high-risk pools, critics say this is far from enough.

— aaron glickman, Fortune, "Obamacare Architect: The Real Victims of Repeal", 27 June 2017
By comparison, only 40 percent of the in-utero surgery group had to get a shunt.

— dr. manny alvarez, Fox News, "Surgery in the womb gives hope for spina bifida", 23 June 2017
Of her two operations, one involved fitting a shunt in her brain to drain the fluid to her stomach.

— sarah schreiber, Redbook, "11-Month-Old Baby Has So Much Hair, She Gets a Daily Blowout", 9 Apr. 2017

First Known Use of shunt

1842

SHUNT Defined for English Language Learners

shunt

play

verb

Definition of shunt for English Language Learners

: to move (someone or something) to a different and usually less important or noticeable place or position
: to move (a train or railway car) from one track to another

SHUNT Defined for Kids

shunt

play

verb \ˈshənt\

Definition of shunt for Students

shunted

;

shunting

1 : to turn or move off to one side or out of the way Cattle were shunted into a corral.
2 : to switch (as a train) from one track to another

Medical Dictionary

shunt

play

transitive verb \ˈshənt\

Medical Definition of shunt

: to divert by or as if by a shunt; especially : to divert (blood) from one part to another by a surgical shunt

shunt

noun

Medical Definition of shunt

1: a passage by which a bodily fluid (as blood) is diverted from one channel, circulatory path, or part to another; especially : such a passage established by surgery or occurring as an abnormality an arteriovenous shunt
2a: a surgical procedure for the establishment of an artificial shunt—see portacaval shuntb: a device (as a narrow tube) used to establish an artificial shunt plastic shunts have been used to bypass temporarily sections of major arteries—Johnson McGuire & Arnold Iglauer