Link Centre Dictionary

shock

UK/ʃɒk/ US/ʃɔk/ common

noun

1.

the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally

  • “his mother”
  • “;”
Synonyms
2.

the violent interaction of individuals or groups entering into combat

  • “the armies met in the shock of battle”
Synonyms
3.

a reflex response to the passage of electric current through the body

  • “subjects received a small electric shock when they made the wrong response”
  • “electricians get accustomed to occasional shocks”
4.

(pathology) bodily collapse or near collapse caused by inadequate oxygen delivery to the cells; characterized by reduced cardiac output and rapid heartbeat and circulatory insufficiency and pallor

  • “loss of blood is an important cause of shock”
5.

an instance of agitation of the earth''s crust

  • “the first shock of the earthquake came shortly after noon while workers were at lunch”
6.

an unpleasant or disappointing surprise

  • “it came as a shock to learn that he was injured”
Synonyms
7.

a pile of sheaves of grain set on end in a field to dry; stalks of Indian corn set up in a field

  • “corn is bound in small sheeves and several sheeves are set up together in shocks”
  • “whole fields of wheat in shock”
8.

a bushy thick mass (especially hair)

  • “he had an unruly shock of black hair”
9.

a mechanical damper; absorbs energy of sudden impulses

  • “the old car needed a new set of shocks”

verb

1.

surprise greatly; knock someone''s socks off

  • “I was floored when I heard that I was promoted”
2.

strike with disgust or revulsion

  • “The scandalous behavior of this married woman shocked her friends”
3.

strike with horror or terror

  • “The news of the bombing shocked her”
5.

collect or gather into shocks

  • “shock grain”
6.

subject to electrical shocks

7.

Origin

From Middle Dutch schokken (“to push, jolt, shake, jerk”) or Middle French choquer (“to collide with, clash”), from Old Dutch *skokkan (“to shake up and down, shog”), from Proto-Germanic *skukkaną (“to move, shake, tremble”). Of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to Proto-Germanic *skakaną (“to shake, stir”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kek-, *(s)keg- (“to shake, stir”); see shake. Cognate with Middle Low German schocken (“collide with, deliver a blow to, move back and forth”), Old High German scoc (“a jolt, swing”), Middle High German schocken (“to swing”) (German schaukeln), Old Norse skykkr (“vibration, surging motion”), Icelandic skykkjun (“tremulously”), Middle English schiggen (“to shake”). Doublet of shog.

Phrases

  • accretion shock
  • acoustic shock
  • anaphylactic shock
  • anti-shock body
  • bow shock
  • cardiogenic shock
  • China shock
  • circulatory shock

Related words

Parts

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.