noun · verb · 8 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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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈʃuːˌhɔːn/
General-American:/ˈʃuːˌhɔɹn/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:SH UW1 HH AO2 R N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A smooth tool that assists in putting the foot into a shoe, by sliding the heel in after the toe is in place.
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
Anything by which a transaction is facilitated; a medium.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Anything which draws on or allures; an inducement.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To use a shoehorn.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: literally
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To force (something) into (a tight space); to squeeze (something) into (a schedule, etc); to exert great effort to insert or include (something); to include (something) despite potent reasons not to.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, transitive
Examples
I shoehorned his dozen burgeoning bags into the backseat of my tiny car, and off we went.
His staff want to shoehorn an extra stop into his already packed campaigning schedule.
2012, The Economist, Oct 13th 2012 issue, Italian politics: Who will be Italy’s next prime minister? A member of Mr Monti’s government admitted that, barring a hung parliament, it was impossible for the moment to see how Mr Monti could be shoehorned into politics after next spring.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To force some current event into alignment with some (usually unconnected) agenda, especially when it is fallacious.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, transitive
Examples
People claiming to be psychic may shoehorn an event into fulfillment of some vague past prediction.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
a device used for easing the foot into a shoe
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: device
8
verb
Meaning 8
fit for a specific purpose even when not well suited
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: adapt, accommodate
History
Etymology
From shoe + horn.
Across languages
Translations
129 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
قَرْن
(qarn)
— tool used to assist the foot
Armenian:
թիակ
(tʻiak)
— tool used to assist the foot
Azerbaijani:
dabançəkən
— tool used to assist the foot
Azerbaijani:
dabangeydirən
— tool used to assist the foot
Azerbaijani:
dabankeş
— tool used to assist the foot
Azerbaijani:
pirəskən
— tool used to assist the foot
Belarusian:
ражо́к
(ražók)
— tool used to assist the foot
Bulgarian:
обу́валка
(obúvalka)
— tool used to assist the foot
Catalan:
calçador
— tool used to assist the foot
Chinese Cantonese:
鞋拔子
(haai4 bat6 zi2)
— tool used to assist the foot
Chinese Cantonese:
鞋拔
(haai4 bat6)
— tool used to assist the foot
Chinese:
鞋拔
(ôe-poe̍h)
— tool used to assist the foot
Chinese:
鞋拔仔
(ê-pe̍h-á)
— tool used to assist the foot
Chinese Mandarin:
鞋拔子
(xiébázi)
— tool used to assist the foot
Chinese Mandarin:
鞋拔
(xiébá)
— tool used to assist the foot
Czech:
lžíce na boty
— tool used to assist the foot
Danish:
skohorn
— tool used to assist the foot
Dutch:
schoenlepel
— tool used to assist the foot
Dutch:
schoenaantrekker
— tool used to assist the foot
Dutch:
schoentrekker
— tool used to assist the foot
Dutch:
schoenhoorn
— tool used to assist the foot
Esperanto:
ŝukorno
— tool used to assist the foot
Faroese:
skóhorn
— tool used to assist the foot
Finnish:
kenkälusikka
— tool used to assist the foot
French:
chausse-pied
— tool used to assist the foot
Galician:
calzador
— tool used to assist the foot
Galician:
calzadeiro
— tool used to assist the foot
German:
Schuhanzieher
— tool used to assist the foot
German:
Schuhlöffel
— tool used to assist the foot
Greek:
κόκαλο
(kókalo)
— tool used to assist the foot
Hebrew:
כף נעליים
(kaf na'alayim)
— tool used to assist the foot
Hungarian:
cipőhúzó
— tool used to assist the foot
Hungarian:
cipőkanál
— tool used to assist the foot
Icelandic:
skóhorn
— tool used to assist the foot
Icelandic:
skójárn
— tool used to assist the foot
Ido:
shumetilo
— tool used to assist the foot
Irish:
ladar bróige
— tool used to assist the foot
Italian:
calzascarpe
— tool used to assist the foot
Italian:
calzatoio
— tool used to assist the foot
Italian:
corno da scarpa
— tool used to assist the foot
Italian:
corno
— tool used to assist the foot
Italian:
calzante
— tool used to assist the foot
Japanese:
靴べら
(kutsubera)
— tool used to assist the foot
Japanese:
靴箆
(kutsubera)
— tool used to assist the foot
Kashubian:
łëżka do bótów
— tool used to assist the foot
Korean:
구둣주걱
(gudutjugeok)
— tool used to assist the foot
Ladin:
ciauzadoia
— tool used to assist the foot
Latvian:
apavu lāpstiņa
— tool used to assist the foot
Lithuanian:
šaukštas
— tool used to assist the foot
Luxembourgish:
Schongläffel
— tool used to assist the foot
Macedonian:
лажица
(lažica)
— tool used to assist the foot
Manx:
eairk braagey
— tool used to assist the foot
Nepali:
बगलिस
(bagalis)
— tool used to assist the foot
Norwegian Bokmål:
skohorn
— tool used to assist the foot
Norwegian Bokmål:
skojern
— tool used to assist the foot
Norwegian Nynorsk:
skohorn
— tool used to assist the foot
Norwegian Nynorsk:
skoskei
— tool used to assist the foot
Persian:
پاشنهکش
— tool used to assist the foot
Polish:
łyżka do butów
— tool used to assist the foot
Portuguese:
calçadeira
— tool used to assist the foot
Romanian:
încălțător de pantofi
— tool used to assist the foot
Russian:
ло́жка для о́буви
(lóžka dlja óbuvi)
— tool used to assist the foot
Russian:
рожо́к
(rožók)
— tool used to assist the foot
Scottish Gaelic:
spàin-bhròg
— tool used to assist the foot
Serbo-Croatian:
žlica za cipele
— tool used to assist the foot
Serbo-Croatian:
žlica za obuvanje
— tool used to assist the foot
Sicilian:
quasaturi
— tool used to assist the foot
Sicilian:
causaturi
— tool used to assist the foot
Silesian:
sebuwacz
— tool used to assist the foot
Slovak:
obuvák
— tool used to assist the foot
Slovak:
lyžica na obúvanie
— tool used to assist the foot
Slovene:
obuvalna žlica
— tool used to assist the foot
Lower Sorbian:
wobuwak
— tool used to assist the foot
Spanish:
calzador
— tool used to assist the foot
Swedish:
skohorn
— tool used to assist the foot
Tagalog:
kalsador
— tool used to assist the foot
Tagalog:
sapin sa paa
— tool used to assist the foot
Tajik:
пошнакаш
(pošnakaš)
— tool used to assist the foot
Thai:
ที่ช้อนรองเท้า
(têe chón rong táo)
— tool used to assist the foot
Turkish:
çekecek
— tool used to assist the foot
Turkish:
kerata
— tool used to assist the foot
Ottoman Turkish:
بوینوز
(boynuz)
— tool used to assist the foot
Ukrainian:
ріжо́к
(rižók)
— tool used to assist the foot
Vietnamese:
muỗng giày
— tool used to assist the foot
Vietnamese:
đón gót
— tool used to assist the foot
Welsh:
sesbin
— tool used to assist the foot
Welsh:
siasbi
— tool used to assist the foot
Welsh:
siesbin
— tool used to assist the foot
Chinese Mandarin:
用鞋拔子
(yòng xiébázi)
— to use a shoehorn
Dutch:
een schoenlepel gebruiken
— to use a shoehorn
Finnish:
käyttää kenkälusikkaa
— to use a shoehorn
German:
ein Schuhlöffel benutzen
— to use a shoehorn
Italian:
calzare
— to use a shoehorn
Polish:
używać łyżki do butów
— to use a shoehorn
Polish:
użyć łyżki do butów
— to use a shoehorn
Portuguese:
calçar com calçadeira
— to use a shoehorn
Russian:
испо́льзовать рожо́к
(ispólʹzovatʹ rožók)
— to use a shoehorn
Spanish:
calzar
— to use a shoehorn
Swedish:
tränga
— to use a shoehorn
Swedish:
knö
— to use a shoehorn
Swedish:
tvinga
— to use a shoehorn
Swedish:
klämma in
— to use a shoehorn
Dutch:
proppen
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Dutch:
persen
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Finnish:
tunkea
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
French:
forcer
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
French:
enfoncer
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
German:
hineinzwängen
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
German:
reinzwängen
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
German:
reinquetschen
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
German:
hineinquetschen
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Hungarian:
beprésel
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Hungarian:
bepasszíroz
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Hungarian:
begyömöszöl
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Hungarian:
beszuszakol
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Hungarian:
bezsúfol
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Hungarian:
beerőltet
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Italian:
forzare
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Italian:
spingere
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Polish:
wciskać
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Polish:
wcisnąć
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Portuguese:
enfiar
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Portuguese:
meter
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Portuguese:
forçar
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Russian:
вти́снуть
(vtísnutʹ)
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Russian:
впихну́ть
(vpixnútʹ)
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Spanish:
meter con calzador
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Spanish:
introducir a la fuerza
— to exert great effort to insert or include something
Spanish:
insertar por fuerza
— to exert great effort to insert or include something