shingle

1 of 3

noun (1)

shin·​gle ˈshiŋ-gəl 

1

: a small thin piece of building material often with one end thicker than the other for laying in overlapping rows as a covering for the roof or sides of a building

2

: a small signboard especially designating a professional office

—used chiefly in the phrase hang out one's shingle

3

: a woman's haircut with the hair trimmed short from the back of the head to the nape

shingle

2 of 3

verb

shingled; shingling ˈshiŋ-g(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to cover with or as if with shingles

2

: to bob and shape (the hair) in a shingle

3

: to lay out or arrange so as to overlap

shingler

ˈshiŋ-g(ə-)lər 

noun

shingle

3 of 3

noun (2)

1

: coarse rounded detritus or alluvial material especially on the seashore that differs from ordinary gravel only in the larger size of the stones

2

: a place strewn with shingle

shingly

ˈshiŋ-g(ə-)lē 

adjective

Examples of shingle in a Sentence

Verb

a house shingled with cedar

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The home’s exterior showcases roofing materials crafted from composition shingles. —Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2025

Florida official suggests phasing out asphalt shingles Time to rethink roofing? —Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2025

Verb

Built in the 1950s, the wood shingled house was more of a summer cottage than a year-round residence. —Stacie Stukin, Architectural Digest, 30 Dec. 2024

Place a small spoonful of the sunflower-miso puree in the center of a plate and shingle the zucchini over the top. —Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 21 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English schingel, alteration of Old English scindel, from Medieval Latin scindula, alteration of Latin scandula

Noun (2)

Middle English chyngell; akin to Middle Low German singel seashore gravel

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing shingle

• hang out one's shingle

Kids Definition

shingle

1 of 2 noun

shin·​gle ˈshiŋ-gəl 

1

: a small thin piece of building material for laying in overlapping rows as a covering for the roof or sides of a building

2

: a small sign

3

: a woman's short haircut

shinglelike

-ˌlīk

adjective

shingle

2 of 2 verb

shingled; shingling -g(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to cover with or as if with shingles

2

: to cut and shape the hair in a shingle