shuttle

1 of 2

noun

shut·​tle ˈshə-tᵊl How to pronounce shuttle (audio)
1
a
: a device used in weaving for passing the thread of the weft between the threads of the warp
b
: a spindle-shaped device holding the thread in tatting, knotting, or netting
c
: a sliding thread holder for the lower thread of a sewing machine that carries the lower thread through a loop of the upper thread to make a stitch
2
3
a
: a going back and forth regularly over an often short route by a vehicle
b(1)
: an established route used in a shuttle
(2)
: a vehicle used in a shuttle
a shuttle bus
shuttleless adjective

shuttle

2 of 2

verb

shuttled; shuttling ˈshə-tᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce shuttle (audio)
ˈshət-liŋ

transitive verb

1
: to cause to move or travel back and forth frequently
2
: to transport in, by, or as if by a shuttle
shuttled them to school

intransitive verb

1
: to move or travel back and forth frequently
2
: to move by or as if by a shuttle

Examples of shuttle in a Sentence

Noun A shuttle takes people from the parking lot to the airport. Verb We shuttled between the city and the country all summer. A bus shuttled people from the parking lot to the dock.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Additional parking is available at Yosemite Village and Curry Village, with shuttle service to the Yosemite Valley Lodge and adjacent parking. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024 That night, Jacquemus held an after-party on the Lady Adriana, a boat moored off the Capri coast, and on the shuttle bus to the docks and the speedboat bearing guests out to the vessel, a young fan in a sleeveless shirt commandeered the PA system to lead rabble-rousing cheers. Nathan Heller, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2024
Verb
Ramirez, a single mother of six children who has breast cancer, had been borrowing her mom's car and shuttling the kids. Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 13 Nov. 2024 Supplementing with taurine may help improve the body's sensitivity to insulin (a hormone that shuttles blood sugar into cells), reduce fasting blood sugar, and support overall health in people with diabetes. Jillian Kubala, Rd, Health, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shuttle 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English shittle, shutle, from Old English scutel, scytel dart; akin to Old Norse skutill bolt, Old English scēotan to shoot — more at shoot

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

1550, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shuttle was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near shuttle

Cite this Entry

“Shuttle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shuttle. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

shuttle

1 of 2 noun
shut·​tle ˈshət-ᵊl How to pronounce shuttle (audio)
1
: an instrument used in weaving to carry the thread back and forth from side to side through the threads that run lengthwise
2
a
: a vehicle that goes back and forth regularly over an often short route
the airport shuttle
space shuttle
b
: an established route used by a shuttle

shuttle

2 of 2 verb
shuttled; shuttling ˈshət-liŋ How to pronounce shuttle (audio)
-ᵊl-iŋ
1
: to move or travel back and forth often
2
: to transport in, by, or as if by a shuttle
shuttled the children to school

More from Merriam-Webster on shuttle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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