shanghai Hear it!

shanghai definition

shang·hai (s̸haŋ′hī′; also for v., s̸haŋ hī′)

noun

any of a breed of large, dark-skinned chicken with white feathers and feathered shanks, imported from China in the 19th cent.

Etymology: after Shanghai

transitive verb shanghaied -·haied′, shanghaiing -·hai′·ing

  1. Etymology: orig. said of sailors thus kidnapped for crew duty on the China run

    to kidnap, usually by drugging, for service aboard ship
  2. Slang to induce (another) to do something through force or deceit

Related Forms:

Shanghai definition

Shang·hai (s̸haŋ′hī′, s̸häŋ′-)

seaport in Jiangsu province, E China, near the mouth of the Chang: pop. 12,910,000

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.
Related Discussions (2)
TopicRepliesLatest Post
SHANGHAI31 month ago
Shanghai196 years ago

Browse Forums