Library / English Dictionary

SHOVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of shoving (giving a push to someone or something)

Example:

he gave the door a shove

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("shove" is a kind of...):

push; pushing (the act of applying force in order to move something away)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "shove"):

bundling (the act of shoving hastily)

jostle; jostling (the act of jostling (forcing your way by pushing))

Derivation:

shove (push roughly)

shove (come into rough contact with while moving)

shove (press or force)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Push roughly

Example:

the people pushed and shoved to get in line

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "shove" is one way to...):

force; push (move with force)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

shove (the act of shoving (giving a push to someone or something))

shover (someone who pushes)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Come into rough contact with while moving

Example:

The passengers jostled each other in the overcrowded train

Synonyms:

jostle; shove

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "shove" is one way to...):

force; push (move with force)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "shove"):

elbow (push one's way with the elbows)

shoulder in (push one's way in with one's shoulders)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

shove (the act of shoving (giving a push to someone or something))

shover (someone who pushes)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Press or force

Example:

She thrust the letter into his hand

Synonyms:

shove; squeeze; stuff; thrust

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "shove" is one way to...):

force; push (move with force)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence example:

They shove the books into the box

Derivation:

shove (the act of shoving (giving a push to someone or something))

Credits

 Context examples: 

I rested two or three minutes, and then gave the boat another shove, and so on, till the sea was no higher than my arm-pits; and now, the most laborious part being over, I took out my other cables, which were stowed in one of the ships, and fastened them first to the boat, and then to nine of the vessels which attended me; the wind being favourable, the seamen towed, and I shoved, until we arrived within forty yards of the shore; and, waiting till the tide was out, I got dry to the boat, and by the assistance of two thousand men, with ropes and engines, I made a shift to turn it on its bottom, and found it was but little damaged.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Unlike Skeet, who was wont to shove her nose under Thornton’s hand and nudge and nudge till petted, or Nig, who would stalk up and rest his great head on Thornton’s knee, Buck was content to adore at a distance.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

“He never could come into the office, without ordering and shoving me about,” said Uriah.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Then he shoved the door open and walked in.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Tim Keenan gave a final shove forward and stepped back again.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

He shoved the slide part way back and rested his arms on it, his body still in the companion-way.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

He allowed himself to be shoved away by her in much the same way that a ferocious but obedient dog allows itself to be shoved away by its master.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

In a jiffy I had slipped over the side and curled up in the fore-sheets of the nearest boat, and almost at the same moment she shoved off.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

When we were alone, he said to me:—Jack Seward, I don't want to shove myself in anywhere where I've no right to be; but this is no ordinary case.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

I made what haste I could to the shore, and, getting into my canoe, shoved off: the savages, observing me retreat, ran after me: and before I could get far enough into the sea, discharged an arrow which wounded me deeply on the inside of my left knee: I shall carry the mark to my grave.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)