shinny
shinny Lexical Profile
shinny Game Scores & Validity
• verb
North American To climb quickly up or down a pole, rope, or tree trunk by gripping with the hands and wrapping the legs or shins around it.
"The young boy shinnied up the flagpole to untangle the knotted rope."
• noun
North American An informal game of ice hockey or street hockey played with a puck or ball and improvised sticks, typically without formal rules, referees, or full protective equipment.
"The neighborhood kids gathered on the frozen pond every Saturday morning for a lively game of shinny."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'shinny' (pronounced SHIN-ee, meaning to climb a pole or play informal hockey) with 'shiny' (pronounced SHY-nee, meaning bright or glossy).
• Rhymes for shinny
Word Origin & Etymology
The sport sense originates from 17th-century Scottish English as a variant of 'shinty', possibly derived from an exclamation used during play. The climbing verb sense emerged in 19th-century American English, likely from 'shin' in reference to gripping a tree trunk or pole with the lower legs.