From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishshaftshaft1 /ʃɑːft $ ʃæft/ noun [countable] 1 passageTBBTI a passage which goes down through a building or down into the ground, so that someone or something can get in or outmine/elevator/ventilation etc shaft a 300-foot elevator shaft2 handleTZ a long handle on a tool, spear etc3 of lightLIGHT a narrow beam of lightshaft of light/sunlight4 engine partTTCTE a long thin piece of metal in an engine or machine, that turns and passes on power or movement to another part of the machine a drive shaft5 for a horse [usually plural]TTB one of a pair of poles between which a horse is tied to pull a vehicle 6 arrow literaryPMW an arrow7 → get the shaft
Examples from the Corpus
shaft• Inside, the tall nave is divided by piers with clustered shafts and foliated capitals.• New clubs with special shafts have now been bought in an effort to prevent fresh trouble with the right wrist.• But the shaft of light didn't waver.• As soon as we arrived after our long pull from the valley, she would arrange to have the horse taken out of the shafts.• Looking up, he found he was standing under a short vertical shaft, at the top of which was another trapdoor.shaftshaft2 verb [transitive] informal UNFAIRto treat someone very unfairly, especially by dishonestly getting money from them I can’t believe you paid that much. You got shafted.→ See Verb tableOrigin shaft1 Old English sceaft 