shank

noun

• 1 (often shanks) a person’s leg, especially the part from the knee to the ankle:the old man’s thin, bony shanks showed through his trousers
• the lower part of an animal’s foreleg: many fast animals have long shanks or calves
• the shank of an animal’s leg as a cut of meat: meals like ham hocks and lamb shanks are cooked with reasonably priced cuts of meat

• 2the shaft or stem of a tool or implement, in particular:
• a long, narrow part of a tool connecting the handle to the operational end: gouges vary in the amount of curve or sweep on the cutting edge and the form of the shank
• the cylindrical part of a bit by which it is held in a drill.
• the long stem of a key, spoon, anchor, etc.: all Roman lever keys have a tubular shank
• the straight part of a fish hook.

• 3a part or appendage by which something is attached to something else, especially a wire loop attached to the back of a button.
• the band of a ring rather than the setting or gemstone.

• 4the narrow middle of the sole of a shoe: a rigid leather boot with a full shank

verb

• strike (the ball) with the heel of the club:I shanked a shot and hit a person on a shoulder