shanty
/ˈʃænti/ noun, adjective, verb
Forms shanties shantying shantied shantey chanty chantey
- noun A roughly-built hut or cabin.
- noun A rudimentary or improvised dwelling, especially one not legally owned.
- noun (Australia, New Zealand) An unlicensed pub.
- adjective (US, derogatory) Living in shanties; poor, ill-mannered and violent. “That neighborhood is full of shanty Irishmen.”
- verb To inhabit a shanty.
- noun A rhythmic work song, traditionally sung by sailors or stevedores, functioning to set the pace for hauling, turning a capstan, loading, or other such activities.
- adjective Jaunty; showy.
Synonyms
shack hovel speakeasy sea shanty hut hutch chantey chanty sea chantey
Etymology
From Canadian French chantier (“lumberjack's headquarters”). An alternative theory that the word derives from Irish seantí (meaning "old house") is not considered likely by lexicologists.
* (unlicensed pub): New Zealand from 1848.
From French chantez, imperative of chanter (“to sing”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Jaunty; showy. [Prov. Eng.]
- noun A small, mean dwelling; a rough, slight building for temporary use; a hut.
- verb To inhabit a shanty. S. H. Hammond.
Etymology [Said to be fr. Ir. sean old + tig. a house.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “shanty”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details