shock1 /shok/ noun- A violent impact, orig of charging warriors
- A dashing together
- A shaking or unsettling blow
- A sudden shaking or jarring as if by a blow
- A blow to the emotions or its cause, an unpleasant surprise
- Outrage at something regarded as improper
- A convulsive excitation of nerves, eg by electricity
- (also surgical shock) a state of extreme physical collapse, a suspension of the body's voluntary and involuntary functions caused by trauma, a surgical operation, or excessive sudden emotional disturbance
- A stroke of paralysis, eg resulting from cerebral haemorrhage (informal)
transitive verb- To meet or assail with a shock
- To shake or impair by a shock
- To give a shock to
- To cause to feel outrage, indignation, disgust, horror, etc
intransitive verb- To outrage feelings
- To collide with violence
adjective (press)Sensational, surprising, unexpected, as in a shock result ORIGIN: Appar Fr choc (noun), choquer (verb) to strike, or perh directly from a Gmc source; cf Du schok shockabilˈity noun shockˈable adjective shocked adjective shockˈer noun (informal) - A sensational story, film or play
- Any remarkably unpleasant or offensive person or thing
- A shock absorber
shockˈing adjective - Giving a shock
- Revolting to the feelings, esp to oversensitive modesty
- Execrable
- Deplorably bad
adverb (informal)Deplorably shockˈingly adverb shockˈingness noun shock absorber noun A device for absorbing shock, such as the telescopic oleo leg in aircraft landing gear or the dampers between the chassis and axles in a motor vehicle shockˈ-horror adjective Used eg of banner headlines and other sensationalistic devices of the tabloid press (see also shock horror below) shocking pink noun An extremely vivid, glaring shade of pink shock jock noun (informal) A radio disc jockey who is intentionally outspoken or offensive shockˈproof adjective - Protected in some way from giving, or suffering the effects of, shock or impact
- Unlikely to be upset, or to feel moral outrage
shockˈstall noun (aeronautics) Loss of lift at high speed caused by the formation of shock waves on an aircraft's wings shock tactics plural noun - Orig tactics of cavalry attacking in masses and depending for their effect on the force of impact
- Any course of action aimed at achieving an object by means of suddenness and overwhelming force (figurative)
shock therapy or shock treatment noun - The use of electric shocks in the treatment of mental disorders
- The use of violent measures to change someone's way of thinking (figurative)
shock troops plural noun Troops trained or selected for attacks demanding exceptional physique and bravery shock wave noun - A wave of the same nature as a sound wave but of very great intensity, caused eg by an atomic explosion, earthquake or by a body moving with supersonic velocity
- The reaction to a sensation or a scandal, thought of as spreading in ever-widening circles
shock and awe A less formal name for rapid dominance (qv under rapid) shock horror (informal) An ironic expression used in response to something purporting to shock surgeon /sûrˈjən/ noun- A person who treats injuries or diseases by manual operations
- An army or naval doctor
- A ship's doctor
- A surgeonfish
ORIGIN: Anglo-Fr surgien; see chirurgeon surˈgeoncy or surˈgeonship noun The office or employment of a surgeon in the army or navy surˈgery noun - The art and practice of a surgeon
- A doctor's or dentist's consulting room
- A doctor's or dentist's time of consultation
- A set, usu regular, time when a member of parliament, local councillor, etc is available to his or her constituents for consultation
surˈgical adjective - Of, relating to, or used in surgery
- (of a garment or appliance) designed to correct a physical deformity
- Incisive
- Precise
surˈgically adverb surˈgeonfish noun Any member of the family Acanthuridae, tropical fishes having razor-sharp spines on their tails, incl the tangs and unicorn fishes surgeon general noun - The senior officer in the medical branch of the service (military)
- The head of the public health service (US)
surgeon's knot noun A knot like a reef knot but with a double turn in the first part (used in ligaturing a cut artery) surgical boot or surgical shoe noun A boot or shoe designed to correct deformities of the foot surgical neck noun (anatomy) The constriction of the shaft of the humerus below the head, a frequent site of fractures surgical shock see shock1 surgical spirit noun Methylated spirit with small amounts of castor oil and oil of wintergreen |