shaft

I. noun (plural shafts) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English sceaft; akin to Old High German scaft shaft, Latin scapus shaft, stalk, Greek skēptesthai to prop oneself, lean Date: before 12th century 1. a. (1) the long handle of a spear or similar weapon (2) spear, lance b. or plural shaves pole; specifically either of two long pieces of wood between which a horse is hitched to a vehicle c. (1) an arrow especially for a longbow (2) the body or stem of an arrow extending from the nock to the head 2. a sharply delineated beam of light shining through an opening 3. something suggestive of the shaft of a spear or arrow especially in long slender cylindrical form: as a. the trunk of a tree b. the cylindrical pillar between the capital and the base c. the handle of a tool or instrument (as a golf club) d. a commonly cylindrical bar used to support rotating pieces or to transmit power or motion by rotation e. the stem or central axis of a feather f. the upright member of a cross especially below the arms g. the cylindrical part of a long bone between the enlarged ends h. a small architectural column (as at each side of a doorway) i. a column, obelisk, or other spire-shaped or columnar monument j. a vertical or inclined opening of uniform and limited cross section made for finding or mining ore, raising water, or ventilating underground workings (as in a cave) k. the part of a hair that is visible above the surface of the skin l. a vertical opening or passage through the floors of a building 4. a. a projectile thrown like a spear or shot like an arrow b. a scornful, satirical, or pithily critical remark or attack c. harsh or unfair treatment — usually used with the <

gave them the shaft

> II. transitive verb Date: 1611 1. to fit with a shaft 2. to treat unfairly or harshly