shin

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈshin 

: the front part of the vertebrate leg below the knee

shin

2 of 4

verb

shinned; shinning

intransitive verb

1

: shinny

2

: to move forward rapidly on foot

transitive verb

1

: to kick or strike on the shins

2

: to climb by shinnying

shin

3 of 4

noun (2)

ˈshēn  ˈshin 

: the 22nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet see Alphabet Table

Shin

4 of 4

noun (3)

ˈshin  ˈshēn 

: a major Japanese Buddhist sect that emphasizes salvation by faith in exclusive worship of Amida Buddha

Examples of shin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

On the last day of the conference, Pirotti, observing Stanton reach down once again to rub his shin, asked him about his wound. — Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026

Students sitting with arms linked at the elbows could only see in shards through a picket of shin guards, restricting their view of the area where classmates and roommates were dragged one by one and zip-tied face down on the spring grass. — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Clarke hit MacKinnon along the boards, and the latter retaliated with a stick to the defenseman’s shin. — Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 1 Oct. 2026

Bender missed the final three months with a shin injury and Henriquez missed the season after undergoing elbow surgery. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English shine, from Old English scinu; akin to Old High German scina shin, Old English scīa shin, leg

Noun (2)

Hebrew shīn

Noun (3)

Japanese, literally, truth

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1829, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1823, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1877, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing shin

• shin splints

Rhymes for shin

• been
• bin
• chin
• din
• djinn
• fin
• finn
• gin
• grin
• in
• kin
• linn

Kids Definition

shin

1 of 2 noun

ˈshin 

: the front part of the leg below the knee

shin

2 of 2 verb

shinned; shinning

: shinny

Medical Definition

shin

noun

ˈshin 

: the front part of the leg below the knee