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shaft |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Idioms, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.03 sec. |
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shaft 1. a revolving rod that transmits motion or power: usually used of axial rotation 2. Anatomy a. the middle part (diaphysis) of a long bone b. the main portion of any elongated structure or part 3. the middle part of a column or pier, between the base and the capital 4. a column, obelisk, etc., esp one that forms a monument 5. Architect a column that supports a vaulting rib, sometimes one of a set 6. Ornithol the central rib of a feather 7. an archaic or literary word for arrow shaft [shaft] (geology) A passage in a cave that is vertical or nearly vertical. (mechanical engineering) A cylindrical piece of metal used to carry rotating machine parts, such as pulleys and gears, to transmit power or motion. (mining engineering) An excavation of limited area compared with its depth, made for finding or mining ore or coal, raising water, ore, rock, or coal, hoisting and lowering men and material, or ventilating underground workings; the term is often specifically applied to approximately vertical shafts as distinguished from an incline or an inclined shaft. (science and technology) A long, slender, usually cylindrical part. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| No archer ever lived that could speed a gray goose shaft with such skill and cunning as his, nor were there ever such yeomen as the sevenscore merry men that roamed with him through the greenwood shades. I saw him as he went down, turning over and over, all arms and legs it seemed, the shaft of the arrow projecting from his chest and appearing and disappearing with each revolution of his body. And on other stormy days the boy learned to whittle out a straight shaft for the long bow, and tip it with gray goose feathers. |
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