noun
shaft
A long narrow rodlike structure.
The shovel has a wooden shaft and a metal blade.
Etymology
Old English sceaft named a shaft, pole, or spear. The broader modern sense retains that long, narrow rod-like shape.
More examples
- A rotating shaft transfers power from the motor to the wheels.
- A shaft of sunlight falls across the kitchen floor.
- The shaft of the penis contains erectile tissue.
Forms
shaft · shafts
Similar words
- rod
- A general slender bar, not necessarily part of a tool.
- handle
- Specifically the part you grip, rather than the whole rod.