Word
shunt
US/ˈʃənt/
UK/ʃˈʌnt/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a way to move something from one path to another. In medicine, it is a tube that helps move fluid from one part of the body to another. In computing, it is a shortcut for a specific task.
n. a device or pathway that diverts a flow of fluid, electricity, or data from its normal course. In medical contexts, it refers to a surgically implanted tube used to redirect cerebrospinal fluid. In computing, it describes a direct, low-level operation that bypasses standard processing.
Examples
“The surgeon placed a shunt to help drain the fluid.”
“The technician used a memory shunt to bypass the corrupted sector and recover the lost data from the hard drive.”
“In complex cardiovascular surgery, a shunt may be temporarily inserted to maintain blood flow while the surgeon repairs a blocked artery, ensuring the patient's organs remain oxygenated throughout the procedure.”
Examples
simple
“The surgeon placed a shunt to help drain the fluid.”
contextual
“The technician used a memory shunt to bypass the corrupted sector and recover the lost data from the hard drive.”
complex
“In complex cardiovascular surgery, a shunt may be temporarily inserted to maintain blood flow while the surgeon repairs a blocked artery, ensuring the patient's organs remain oxygenated throughout the procedure.”
Real-World Examples
“A grand pedimented entrance is shunted to one end of the east facade.” “Joaquin Seys , 21, of Club Brugge, is said to be a carbon copy of Hall and the Belgian has apparently been shunted to the top of United’s hitlist.” Etymology
From Middle English schonten, schunten (“to jerk, swerve; to dodge, escape”), either: * possibly a back-formation from Middle English schonen (“to avoid, refuse, hate, fear”), from Old English sċunian, sċyniġan; see shun. Or an alteration of Middle English schunden, schynden, from Old English sċyndan, sċendan (“to hasten, hurry”) (as in āsċyndan (“to remove, take away”), from Proto-West Germanic skundijan, from Proto-Germanic skundijaną (“to impel, hasten”), from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewt- (“to rattle, shake”). from unrecorded Old English sċunettan, a derivative of sċunian (“to shun, avoid”). As regards the noun sense, compare Middle English shunt (“swerve; sudden jerk”), derived from the verb.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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