shanghai
shanghai Lexical Profile
shanghai Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A major global financial hub and port city located on the central coast of East China, at the estuary of the Yangtze River.
• verb
To coerce, trick, or compel someone into doing something or going somewhere against their will.
"I somehow got shanghaied into organizing the company holiday party even though my schedule was already completely full."
To force someone to join a ship's crew by using coercion, trickery, or drugs.
"During the gold rush, many unwary men were drugged in taverns and shanghaied onto merchant vessels."
• Rhymes for shanghai
Word Origin & Etymology
The verb originated in the mid-19th century from the practice of kidnapping or drugging men to serve as sailors on ships bound for the Chinese port city of Shanghai, a voyage notorious for being long and arduous.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.