Word
shack
US/ˈʃæk/
UK/ʃˈæk/
Definitions
01a simple hut
n. a small, simple building that is often made of wood or metal and is not very strong.
n. a crudely built or dilapidated cabin or hut, typically constructed from salvaged materials.
“The fisherman kept his nets in a small wooden shack by the beach.”
“The hillside was dotted with makeshift shacks, constructed from corrugated iron and timber by the migrant workers.”
02radio room
n. a small room or building used for operating radio equipment.
n. a dedicated room or enclosure used for housing and operating amateur radio equipment.
“He spent every Saturday evening in his radio shack talking to people across the ocean.”
“The enthusiast's shack was filled with vintage transceivers and meticulously organised technical manuals.”
Slang · Technical
Synonyms
03to live together
v. to live in a place, especially with someone you are having a relationship with.
v. to reside or cohabit, frequently used in the phrasal form 'shack up'.
“They decided to shack up in a small apartment downtown to save money.”
“After only a few months of dating, they chose to shack up together, much to the surprise of their more conservative relatives.”
Informal
Usage
Usually followed by the particle 'up'.
Synonyms
Etymology
Unknown. Some authorities derive this word from Mexican Spanish jacal, from Nahuatl xacalli (“adobe hut”). Alternatively, the word may instead come from ramshackle/ramshackly (e.g., old ramshackly house) or perhaps it may be a back-formation from shackly. Compare Tavringer Romani hak (“place, house”), Traveller Norwegian hak (“place”).
Obsolete variant of shake. Compare Scots shag (“refuse of barley or oats”).
From shagged or shagged out.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
shacked up — (of a couple) Sharing a house, but not married.