shingle

1 of 3

noun (1)

shin·​gle ˈshiŋ-gəl How to pronounce shingle (audio)
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 How to pronounce shingle (audio)

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 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 adjective

Examples of shingle in a Sentence

Verb a house shingled with cedar
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Harrison Ford drops out as presenter at 2025 Oscars after shingles diagnosis (exclusive) Want more movie news? EW.com, 3 Mar. 2025 However, the 82-year-old actor backed out of presenting Saturday morning following his recent shingles diagnosis, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Lexi Carson, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2025
Verb
The shrimp cocktail at the comically exclusive Polo Bar in Manhattan is an imposing specimen, the crustaceans arriving tightly shingled on a steeple of ice accented by a celery spire. Tanya Sichynsky, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025 Thick slices of extra crispy, crackling pork belly were shingled over a thick kare-kare sauce. Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shingle

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of shingle was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shingle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shingle. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

shingle

1 of 2 noun
shin·​gle ˈshiŋ-gəl How to pronounce shingle (audio)
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 How to pronounce shingle (audio)
1
: to cover with or as if with shingles
2
: to cut and shape the hair in a shingle

More from Merriam-Webster on shingle

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