Link Centre Dictionary

Shanghai

shang·hai

UK/ʃæŋˈhaɪ/ US/ˈʃæŋ.haɪ/ fairly common slang us
noun (1) verb (1)

noun

1.

the largest city of China; located in the east on the Pacific; one of the largest ports in the world

verb

1.

take (someone) against his will for compulsory service, especially on board a ship

  • “The men were shanghaied after being drugged”
Synonyms

Origin

1871, from the important Chinese port Shanghai, as a verb with reference to the former practice by some shippers on the West Coast of the United States of press-ganging crews for fishing or shipping in the Pacific Ocean.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.