Standard Lemma guide

shin

name · noun · verb · 12 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ʃɪn/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪn
  • CMU ARPABET: SH IH1 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A river in Scotland, in the Highlands

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The front part of the leg below the knee; the front edge of the shin bone: Shinbone on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Soccer players have to wear protective gear so they don't injure their shins.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tibia

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A fishplate for a railway

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The twenty-first letter of many Semitic alphabets/abjads (Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic and others): Shin (letter) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To climb up or lower oneself down a mast, tree, rope, or the like, by embracing it alternately with the arms and legs, without help of steps, spurs, or the like.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • to shin up a mast

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shinny

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To strike with the shin.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To run about borrowing money hastily and temporarily, as when trying to make a payment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

the front part of the human leg between the knee and the ankle

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: body part

9

noun

Meaning 9

the inner and thicker of the two bones of the human leg between the knee and ankle

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tibia, shinbone, shin bone

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: leg bone

10

noun

Meaning 10

the 22nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: letter, letter of the alphabet, alphabetic character

11

noun

Meaning 11

a cut of meat from the lower part of the leg

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shin bone

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cut, cut of meat

12

verb

Meaning 12

climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: clamber, scramble, shinny, skin, struggle, sputter

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: climb

History

Etymology

From Scottish Gaelic abhainn Sin.

From Middle English schyne, from Old English scinu, from Proto-West Germanic *skinu, from Proto-Germanic *skinō. Cognate with West Frisian skine, Dutch scheen, German Schiene. Not related to skin.

Across languages

Translations

121 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: skeen — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Afrikaans: maermerrie — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Amharic: ቅልጥም (ḳəlṭəm) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Arabic: قَصَبَة (qaṣaba) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Arabic: قصبة الرجل (ʔaṣabet e-regl) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Armenian: սրունք (srunkʻ) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Belarusian: галёнка (haljónka) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Belarusian: го́лень (hóljenʹ) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Bulgarian: пищя́л (pištjál) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Catalan: canyella — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Catalan: canella — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Catalan: sec — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Catalan: camalló — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Catalan: espinella — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Cherokee: ᎠᏍᎬᏓᎨᏂ (asgvdageni) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Chinese Mandarin: 脛 /胫 (jìng) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Chinese Mandarin: 小腿 (xiǎotuǐ) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Coptic: ⲕⲁϣ ⲛⲣⲁⲧ (kaš nrat) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Czech: holeň — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Danish: skinneben — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Darkinjung: jarra — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Dutch: scheen — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Esperanto: kruro — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Finnish: sääri — front part of the leg below the knee
  • French: tibia — front part of the leg below the knee
  • French: os long — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Galician: canela — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Georgian: კანჭი (ḳanč̣i) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Georgian: წვივი (c̣vivi) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • German: Schienbein — front part of the leg below the knee
  • German: Tibia — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Greek: κνήμη (kními) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Ancient Greek: κνήμη (knḗmē) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Greenlandic: kanaaq — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Hebrew: שוק (shok) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Hungarian: sípcsont — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Hungarian: lábszár — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Icelandic: sköflungur — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Indonesian: betis depan — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Indonesian: tulang kering — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Irish: lorga — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Italian: stinco — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Italian: tibia — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Japanese: 脛 (sune) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Japanese: 臑 (sune) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Kabuverdianu: kanela — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Khmer: ស្មង (smɑɑŋ) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Korean: 정강이 (jeonggang'i) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Lithuanian: blauzda — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Maasai: l-aɨlɛ́lɛɛ̂ — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Macedonian: пи́ска (píska) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Malay: tulang kering — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Māori: tāhau — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Māori: tātāhau — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Māori: kauangāwai — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Middle English: schyne — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Moksha: катля (katlä) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Mpade: salio — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Navajo: adzástis — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skinneben — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skinnebein — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tibia — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: skinnebein — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: tibia — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Old English: sċinu — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Persian: ساق (sâġ) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Polish: goleń — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Portuguese: canela — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Romanian: fluierul piciorului — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Russian: го́лень (gólenʹ) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Sanskrit: अष्ठीवत् (aṣṭhīvat) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Scottish Gaelic: lurgann — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Serbo-Croatian: голѐњача — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Serbo-Croatian: гња̑т — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Serbo-Croatian: голен — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Serbo-Croatian: golènjača — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Serbo-Croatian: gnjȃt — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Serbo-Croatian: golen — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Slovak: holeň — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Slovene: golen — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Slovene: piščal — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Somali: xoog — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Spanish: canilla — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Spanish: espinilla — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Spanish: tibia — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Swedish: skenben — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Tagalog: lulod — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Thai: แข้ง (kɛ̂ng) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Tibetan: ངར་གདུང (ngar gdung) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Turkish: incik — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Turkish: kaval kemiği — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Ottoman Turkish: اینجك (incik) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Ottoman Turkish: باجاق (bacak) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Ukrainian: гомі́лка (homílka) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Ukrainian: голі́нка (holínka) — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Unami: hwìkxkòn — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Vietnamese: ống quyển — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Vietnamese: ống khuyển — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Vietnamese: ống đồng — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Volapük: tibiad — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Welsh: crimog — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Xhosa: imbande — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Yagara: buyu — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Yoruba: àgbàkùrójú — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Yoruba: ojúgun — front part of the leg below the knee
  • Arabic: شِين (šīn) — Semitic letter
  • Catalan: xin — Semitic letter
  • Finnish: šin — Semitic letter
  • French: chine — Semitic letter
  • French: shin — Semitic letter
  • German: Schin — Semitic letter
  • Hebrew: שִׁין (shin) — Semitic letter
  • Russian: шин (šin) — Semitic letter
  • Turkish: şin — Semitic letter
  • Yiddish: שין (shin) — Semitic letter
  • Bulgarian: изкатервам се (izkatervam se) — (UK) to climb a mast, tree, rope
  • Finnish: kivuta — (UK) to climb a mast, tree, rope
  • Finnish: kavuta — (UK) to climb a mast, tree, rope
  • Finnish: kiivetä — (UK) to climb a mast, tree, rope
  • Russian: кара́бкаться (karábkatʹsja) — (UK) to climb a mast, tree, rope
  • Russian: лазать (lazatʹ) — (UK) to climb a mast, tree, rope