Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,804,885,749 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

Shanghai

   Also found in: Legal, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.02 sec.
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.

Shang·hai 2  (shng-h)
n.

[After Shanghai1.]

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.

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

shang·haier n.

shanghai [ˈʃæŋhaɪ ʃæŋˈhaɪ] Slang
vb -hais, -haiing, -haied (tr)
1. (Transport / Nautical Terms) to kidnap (a man or seaman) for enforced service at sea, esp on a merchant ship
2. to force or trick (someone) into doing something, going somewhere, etc.
3. (Military / Arms & Armour (excluding Firearms)) Austral and NZ to shoot with a catapult
n
(Military / Arms & Armour (excluding Firearms)) Austral and NZ a catapult
[from the city of Shanghai; from the forceful methods formerly used to collect crews for voyages to the Orient]

Shanghai [ˈʃæŋˈhaɪ]
n
(Placename) a port in E China, in SE Jiangsu near the estuary of the Yangtze: the largest city in China and one of the largest ports in the world; a major cultural and industrial centre, with two universities. Pop.: 8 937 175 (1999 est.)
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.ShanghaiShanghai - 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
Verb1.shanghai - take (someone) against his will for compulsory service, especially on board a ship; "The men were shanghaied after being drugged"
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"
Translations
Shanghai [ˌʃæŋˈhaɪ] NShanghai m
shanghai [ʃæŋˈhaɪ] VT to shanghai sb (Naut) (archaic) → narcotizar or emborrachar a algn y llevarle como marinero (fig) → secuestrar a algn
shanghai
vt (Naut) → schanghaien; to shanghai somebody into doing something (fig inf)jdn zwingen, etw zu tun


How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
In going to Shanghai we should not be forced to sail wide of the Chinese coast, which would be a great advantage, as the currents run northward, and would aid us.
Impatience grew apace, when, on the 2nd of July, they learned that a steamer of the line of San Francisco, from California to Shanghai, had seen the animal three weeks before in the North Pacific Ocean.
I've got slippers waiting for me in a tea-house in Shanghai, and I don't have to tell 'em how to cook my eggs in Rio de Janeiro or Seattle.
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.