Emily Dickinson Lexicon

sexton, n. [AFr segerstaine < L. 'sacristan'.]

1. Mortician; undertaker; cemetery caretaker; church officer whose duty is to ring church bells and dig graves for the dead.
2. Deacon; [fig.] robin; songbird.

shackle (-s), n. [OE sceacul, fetter, link of a chain, hobble for a horse, pole of a wagon.]

Fetter; chain; restraint for the ankle of a prisoner; irons used to fasten a captive to the floor or wall of a cell.

shade, n. [ME 'shadow'.]

1. Shadow; time of darkness; absence of illumination; [fig.] depression; despair; grief; sorrow.
2. Diminished amount of radiant sunlight due to a canopy of trees and other vegetation.

shadow (-s), n. [OE < Gk. 'darkness'.]

1. Patch of shade; image of partial darkness caused by blocking the sunlight.
2. Hint; warning sign; token of coming darkness.
3. Phantom; ghost; spirit of a dead person.

shady, adj. [see shade, n.]

Cool; unaffected; shaded; protected by shade.

shaft (-s), n. [OE 'make, create, shape'.]

1. Headstone; grave marker.
2. Dart; flash; [fig.] snake; serpent; ophidian.
3. Handle of a weapon; long part of a spear; wooden projectile for an arrow.
4. Pole; straight object.
5. Pit; tunnel; entrance into a mine; long narrow opening.

shaggy (shaggier), adj. [OE sceacga.]

Unkempt; rough; coarse in texture; having long rough nap.

shake (-s, shook), v. [OE scacan, depart, push, displace.]

1. Move from side to side; [fig.] make a gesture to indicate a negative response.
2. Stir; rattle; move by means of the wind.
3. Shiver; tremble; shudder from cold; quiver because of fear.
4. Thrust upward; move violently.
5. Unfold quickly; spread out with a sudden movement.
6. Disrupt; disturb.
7. Quaver; vibrate; waver.

Shakespeare, proper n. [see shake and spear.]

William Shakespeare (1564-1616); the Poet; the Bard; Early Modern English author; creator of Renaissance plays and sonnets; greatest playwright of all time; man who wrote Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet (see ED's letters).

shall (shalt, shal't, shant), v. [OE 'owe, guilt, debt, admonish'; see should, sh'd, should'nt.]

1. As a consequence; [modal auxiliary of cause-effect.]
2. Must (see 1 Corinthians 15:52); [modal auxiliary of certainty or prophecy.]
3. Will; [future modal auxiliary.]
4. Plan to; [modal auxiliary of intent.]
5. Phrase. “shall not tell”: mystery; enigma.