shack

noun

1
: hut, shanty
2
: a room or similar enclosed structure for a particular person or use
a guard shack

Examples of shack in a Sentence

an old shack in the woods a farmer's shack out in the fields that's used for lambing and as a shelter from storms
Recent Examples on the Web Three of the property’s four cottages were originally fishing shacks from the 1940s, but they’ve been renovated and decorated with regional themes. Kayla Michelle Smith, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2024 The Demise of a Local Attraction: The fishing shacks at Willard Beach in South Portland were a piece of local history. Dave Philipps, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Unsafe buildings include those that have exposed openings, such as beach shacks, metal sheds, picnic shelters or pavilions, carports and baseball dugouts. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2024 The terrain is wild and dusty, with no people or shacks cluttering the panoramas. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2024 The soldiers left them in another shack, guarded by settlers, and drove over to where Abu Hassan and Mohammed Khaled were being held. Shane Bauer, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 The priest looked across the waters and saw São Miguel up ahead, a line of shacks rising upon an escarpment. Bishop Sand, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2024 At the Flora-Bama, everyone’s welcome, and for many folks, their first pilgrimage to this sprawling shack on the beach begets a second one—and maybe a hundred more after that. Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 The museum, a 200-year-old shack with a tin roof, was once Hurt’s home. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably back-formation from English dialect shackly rickety

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shack was in 1878

Dictionary Entries Near shack

Cite this Entry

“Shack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shack. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shack

noun
1
: hut, shanty
2
: a room or similar enclosed structure for a particular person or use
a radio shack

More from Merriam-Webster on shack

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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