shingle
shingle Lexical Profile
shingle Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A thin piece of wood, slate, metal, or other material laid in overlapping rows to cover the roof or sides of a building.
"The fierce winds from the hurricane tore several asphalt shingles off the roof of the old barn."
British A mass of small, water-worn stones or pebbles, especially those found on a beach or riverbed.
"We walked carefully over the loose shingle of the steep shoreline, listening to the waves drag the stones back and forth."
American A small signboard, especially one hung outside the office of a professional such as a doctor or lawyer to indicate their practice.
"After passing the state bar exam, she eagerly hung out her shingle in the center of town to start her independent law practice."
• verb
To cover a roof, wall, or other structure with overlapping shingles.
"The construction crew arrived at dawn to shingle the new extension on the back of the house."
To cut hair in a short, layered style that resembles overlapping roofing tiles, particularly tapering closely at the nape of the neck.
"In the rebellious spirit of the 1920s, many progressive women chose to shingle their hair in the controversial bob style."
Word Nuance & Usage
The plural form 'shingles' is also the name of a viral disease characterized by a painful rash, stemming from an entirely different etymological root (Latin 'cingulum', meaning girdle).
• Rhymes for shingle
Word Origin & Etymology
The roofing sense derives from Late Latin 'scindula' or 'scandula' (a split piece of wood). The meaning of beach pebbles comes from a likely distinct Germanic source, akin to Norwegian 'singl' (small stones), probably of imitative origin referring to the sound of water moving over pebbles.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.