shock¹ /shok/

1. A violent impact, orig of charging warriors
2. A dashing together
3. A shaking or unsettling blow
4. A sudden shaking or jarring as if by a blow
5. A blow to the emotions or its cause, an unpleasant surprise
6. Outrage at something regarded as improper
7. A convulsive excitation of nerves, eg by electricity
8. (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
9. A stroke of paralysis, eg resulting from cerebral haemorrhage (informal)

1. To meet or assail with a shock
2. To shake or impair by a shock
3. To give a shock to
4. To cause to feel outrage, indignation, disgust, horror, etc

1. To outrage feelings
2. To collide with violence

Sensational, surprising, unexpected, as in a shock result

shockabilˈity noun

shockˈable adjective

shocked adjective

shockˈer noun (informal)

1. A sensational story, film or play
2. Any remarkably unpleasant or offensive person or thing
3. A shock absorber

shockˈing adjective

1. Giving a shock
2. Revolting to the feelings, esp to oversensitive modesty
3. Execrable
4. Deplorably bad

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

1. Protected in some way from giving, or suffering the effects of, shock or impact
2. 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

1. Orig tactics of cavalry attacking in masses and depending for their effect on the force of impact
2. Any course of action aimed at achieving an object by means of suddenness and overwhelming force (figurative)

shock therapy or shock treatment noun

1. The use of electric shocks in the treatment of mental disorders
2. 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

1. 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
2. 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/

1. A person who treats injuries or diseases by manual operations
2. An army or naval doctor
3. A ship's doctor
4. A surgeonfish

surˈgeoncy or surˈgeonship noun

The office or employment of a surgeon in the army or navy

surˈgery noun

1. The art and practice of a surgeon
2. A doctor's or dentist's consulting room
3. A doctor's or dentist's time of consultation
4. A set, usu regular, time when a member of parliament, local councillor, etc is available to his or her constituents for consultation

surˈgical adjective

1. Of, relating to, or used in surgery
2. (of a garment or appliance) designed to correct a physical deformity
3. Incisive
4. 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

1. The senior officer in the medical branch of the service (military)
2. 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

• staginesses
• staging
• staging area
• staging areas
• staging base
• staging post
• staging posts
• stagings
• Stagirite
• stagnancies
• stagnancy
• stagnant
• stagnantly
• stagnate
• stagnated
• stagnates
• stagnating
• stagnation
• stagnation point
• stagnation points
• stagnations
• St Agnes's Eve
• St Agnes's flower
• St Agnes's flowers
• stag night