shamble

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shamble

/ˈʃæmbəl/
[ˈʃʰæmbəl] ~ [ˈʃʰæmbl̩]
/ˈʃeə̯mbəl/ Canada, US
[ˈʃeə̯mbəl] ~ [ˈʃeə̯mbl̩] Canada, US
/ˈʃɛə̯mbəl/ Canada, US
[ˈʃɛə̯mbəl] ~ [ˈʃɛə̯mbl̩] Canada, US

Rhymes with -æmbəl

Where it comes from

From Middle English schambyll, shamyll, schamel, from Old English sċeamol, scamol (“bench, stool”), from Proto-West Germanic *skamul, *skamil, from Proto-Germanic *skamulaz, *skamilaz, from Latin scamellum, a variant of scabellum (“footstool”). Cognate with West Frisian skammel (“shamble, trestle, stool", also (in the plural) "legs, especially when showing defects or deformities”), Dutch schemel (“footstool, bench”), German Schemel (“stool”), Danish skammel (“stool”). Icelandic skemill (“footstool”). Doublet of scabellum.

The verb is probably derived from the adjective, itself from attributive use of the noun. Compare West Frisian skammelje (“to walk with a swaying gait, especially on deformed legs”).

noun shambles

One of a succession of niches or platforms, one above another, to hold ore which is thrown successively from platform to platform, and thus raised to a higher level.

adjective

not comparable, rare Shambling, awkward, ungainly; distorted, ill-shapen, wry. His awkward stagger is due to his shamble legs.

verb shambles · shambling · shambled

To walk while shuffling or dragging the feet. I wasn't too impressed with the fellow, when he shambled in unenthusiastically and an hour late.
Similar: shuffle, stagger

Translations

Every language

verb to walk while shuffling or dragging the feet

Español	arrastrar los pies
Deutsch	schlurfen, schleichen, watscheln
Русский	ша́ркать šárkatʹ
العربية	مَشَى يَجُرُّ قَدَمَيْهِ mašā yajurru qadamayhi

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MLA

"shamble." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/shamble. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

shamble. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/shamble

Chicago

"shamble." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/shamble.

BibTeX

@misc{shamble_2026,
  title = {shamble},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/shamble},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}