Shanghai (redirected from shanghaied)

Shang·hai ¹  (shng-h, shäng-)

A city of eastern China at the mouth of the Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) southeast of Nanjing. The largest city in the country, Shanghai was opened to foreign trade by the Treaty of Nanking (1842) and quickly prospered. France, Great Britain, and the United States all held large concessions in the city until the early 20th century. Shanghai is located in Jiangsu province but is administered as a separate governmental unit. Population: 9,830,000.

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Shang·hai ²  (shng-h)

n.

See Cochin China².

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[After Shanghai¹.]

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shang·hai  (shng-h, shngh)

tr.v. shang·haied, shang·hai·ing, shang·hais

1. To kidnap (a man) for compulsory service aboard a ship, especially after drugging him.

2. To induce or compel (someone) to do something, especially by fraud or force: We were shanghaied into buying worthless securities.

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[After Shanghai¹, from the former custom of kidnapping sailors to man ships going to China.]

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shang·haier n.

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shanghai Slang

Verb

[-haiing, -haied]

1. to force or trick (someone) into doing something

2. History to kidnap (a man) and force him to serve at sea

3. Austral & NZ to shoot with a catapult

Noun

Austral & NZ a catapult [senses 1 and 2 after the city of Shanghai; senses 3 and 4 from Scots dialect shangie, shangan cleft stick]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	Shanghai - the largest city of China; located in the east on the Pacific; one of the largest ports in the world Cathay, China, Communist China, mainland China, People's Republic of China, PRC, Red China - a communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia; the most populous country in the world
Verb	1.	shanghai - take (someone) against his will for compulsory service, especially on board a ship; "The men were shanghaied after being drugged" impress crime, criminal offence, criminal offense, law-breaking, offense, offence - (criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act; "a long record of crimes" abduct, kidnap, nobble, snatch - take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom; "The industrialist's son was kidnapped"