Phrase guide

shanks' mare

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One's own feet used for walking.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, countable, idiomatic, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

you own legs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I traveled on shank's mare

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shank's mare, shank's pony, shanks' pony

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: leg

History

Etymology

Believed to be Scottish in origin and derives from shanks' nag (shanks-naig 1774), referring to the use of shank to refer to the part of the human leg between the knee and ankle. One theory cites "shank's mare" derived from a horse-drawn lawn mower, manufactured by Shanks & Company Ltd. (founded 1853) which required that the human operator walk behind the device to guide the horse; however, references to the phrase in Scottish literature pre-date the existence of the Shanks lawn mower.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 十一路 — walking
  • German: Schusters Rappen — walking
  • Icelandic: fara á tveimur jafnfljótum — walking
  • Icelandic: ganga — walking
  • Irish: é a chrágáil — walking
  • Irish: dul ann de shiúl cos — walking
  • Polish: piechota — walking
  • Russian: на свои́х двои́х (na svoíx dvoíx) — walking
  • Russian: на Пешка́русе (na Peškáruse) — walking
  • Scots: shank's meir — walking
  • Scots: Tamson's meir — walking
  • Swedish: apostlahästar — walking