| shaft | 1. The slender, smooth stem of an arrow; hence, an arrow. "His sleep, his meat, his drink, is him bereft, That lean he wax, and dry as is a shaft." (Chaucer) "A shaft hath three principal parts, the stele [stale], the feathers, and the head." (Ascham) 2. The long handle of a spear or similar weapon; hence, the weapon itself; anything regarded as a shaft to be thrown or darted; as, shafts of light. "And the thunder, Winged with red lightning and impetuous rage, Perhaps hath spent his shafts." (Milton) "Some kinds of literary pursuits . . . Have been attacked with all the shafts of ridicule." (V. Knox) 3. That which resembles in some degree the stem or handle of an arrow or a spear; a long, slender part, especially when cylindrical. <botany> Specifically: (a) The stem or midrib of a feather. The pole, or tongue, of a vehicle; also, a thill. The part of a candlestick which supports its branches. "Thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold . . . His shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same." (Ex. Xxv. 31) The handle or helve of certain tools, instruments, etc, as a hammer, a whip, etc. A pole, especially a Maypole. The body of a column; the cylindrical pillar between the capital and base. Also, the part of a chimney above the roof. Also, the spire of a steeple. A column, an obelisk, or other spire-shaped or columnar monument. "Bid time and nature gently spare The shaft we raise to thee. <machinery> " (Emerson) A solid or hollow cylinder or bar, having one or more journals on which it rests and revolves, and intended to carry one or more wheels or other revolving parts and to transmit power or motion; as, the shaft of a steam engine. 4. <zoology> A humming bird (Thaumastura cora) having two of the tail feathers next to the middle ones very long in the male; called also cora humming bird. 5. [Cf. G. Schacht. <chemical> A well-like excavation in the earth, perpendicular or nearly so, made for reaching and raising ore, for raising water, etc. 6. A long passage for the admission or outlet of air; an air shaft. 7. The chamber of a blast furnace. Line shaft, a furnace, in the form of a chimney, which is charged at the top and tapped at the bottom. Origin: OE. Shaft, schaft, AS. Sceaft; akin to D. Schacht, OHG. Scaft, G. Schaft, Dan. & Sw. Skaft handle, haft, Icel. Skapt, and probably to L. Scapus, Gr, a staff. Probably originally, a shaven or smoothed rod. Cf. Scape, Scepter, Shave. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| shaft horsepower | A measure of the actual mechanical energy per unit time delivered to a turning shaft. 1 shaft horsepower = 1 electric horsepower = 550 ft-lb/second. (05 Dec 1998) |
| shaft of femur | The cylindrical shaft of the thigh bone. Synonym: corpus ossis femoris, body of thigh bone, corpus femoris. (05 Mar 2000) |
| shaft of fibula | The body of fibula; of the fibula elongated, rod-like portion which accounts for most of its length. Synonym: corpus fibulae. (05 Mar 2000) |
| shaft of humerus | The elongated rod-like portion of the humerus between the surgical neck proximally and the emergence of the supracondylar ridges distally. Synonym: corpus humeri. (05 Mar 2000) |
| shaft of radius | The triangular body of the radius located between the expanded proximal and distal extremities of the bone. Synonym: corpus radii. (05 Mar 2000) |
| shaft of tibia | The triangular body of tibia between its expanded proximal and distal ends. Synonym: corpus tibiae, body of tibia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| shaft of ulna | The shaft of the ulna between the proximal extremity and the head. Synonym: body of ulna. (05 Mar 2000) |
| neck-shaft angle | <orthopaedics> The angle formed by the meeting of a line drawn through the shaft of the femur with one passing through the long axis of the femoral neck; normally it is about 127 |
| abductor digiti minimi muscle of hand | Origin, pisiform bone and pisohamate ligament; insertion, medial side of base of proximal phalanx of the little finger; action, abducts and flexes little finger; nerve supply, ulnar. Synonym: musculus abductor digiti minimi manus, abductor muscle of little finger, musculus abductor digiti quinti. (05 Mar 2000) |
| accoucheur's hand | Position of the hand in tetany or in muscular dystrophy; the fingers are flexed at the metacarpophalangeal joints and extended at the phalangeal joints, with the thumb flexed and adducted into the palm; in resemblance to the position of the physician's hand in making a vaginal examination. Synonym: main d'accoucheur, obstetrical hand. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ape hand | A deformity marked by extension of the thumb in the same plane as the palm and fingers. Synonym: monkey hand, monkey-paw. (05 Mar 2000) |
| articulations of hand | These joints include the radiocarpal or wrist joint; intercarpal, carpometacarpal, intermetacarpal; metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints. Synonym: articulationes manus, articulations of hand. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bloody hand | 1. A hand stained with the blood of a deer, which, in the old forest laws of England, was sufficient evidence of a man's trespass in the forest against venison. 2. A red hand, as in the arms of Ulster, which is now the distinguishing mark of a baronet of the United Kingdom. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| Marinesco's succulent hand | Oedema of the hand with coldness and lividity of the skin, observed in syringomyelia. Synonym: main succulente. (05 Mar 2000) |