Added 9 October 2026
shock
/ʃɒk/ noun
In Latin: impulsus Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about shock at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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The feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally.
his mother's death left him in a daze
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The violent interaction of individuals or groups entering into combat.
the armies met in the shock of battle
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A reflex response to the passage of electric current through the body.
subjects received a small electric shock when they made the wrong response
verb
Origin
From Middle Dutch schokken (“to push, jolt, shake, jerk”) or Middle French choquer (“to collide with, clash”), from Old Dutch *skokkan (“to shake up and down, shog”), from Proto-Germanic *skukkaną (“to move, shake, tremble”). Of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to Proto-Germanic *skakaną (“to shake, stir”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kek-, *(s)keg- (“to shake, stir”); see shake.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)