shin

name

Etymology: From Scottish Gaelic abhainn Sin.

1. A river in Scotland, in the Highlands

noun

1. The twenty-first letter of many Semitic alphabets/abjads (Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic and others): Shin (letter) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

verb

Etymology: From Middle English schyne, from Old English scinu, from Proto-West Germanic *skinu, from Proto-Germanic *skinō. Cognate with West Frisian skine, Dutch scheen, German Schiene. Not related to skin.

1. To climb up or lower oneself down a mast, tree, rope, or the like, by embracing it alternately with the arms and legs, without help of steps, spurs, or the like.

   “to shin up a mast”

   “"The minute the door is shut he shins down a water-pipe, hops on his motor-cycle, and is off at full speed."”

2. To strike with the shin.

   “The warning signs had been there as Peter Cech had already had to palm away a stinging shot from Ronald Zubar but immediately afterwards the Blues goalkeeper could only watch in horror as defender Boswinga shinned the ball into his own net from Hunt's corner.”

3. To run about borrowing money hastily and temporarily, as when trying to make a payment.

   “The Senator was shinning around, to get gold for the rascally bank-rags which he was obliged to take.”