a cut of meat (beef or veal or mutton or lamb) from the upper part of the leg
"The butcher sliced off two shanks for our stew, which were perfect for pulling apart after long slow cooking."
the part of the human leg between the knee and the ankle
"After falling down the stairs, she wrapped an ice pack around her swollen shank to reduce the pain."
cylinder forming the part of a bolt between the thread and the head
"The mechanic tightened the nut onto the shank of the new bolt to secure the engine bracket."
cylinder forming the part of a bit by which it is held in the drill
"He tightened the shank into the drill chuck to secure the cutting tool before starting the hole."
a poor golf stroke in which the heel of the club hits the ball
"My frustration peaked when I finally hit a shank and watched the ball sail straight into the trees behind the green."
The part of the leg between the knee and the ankle.
"After twisting her ankle, she limped carefully to avoid putting weight on her shank."
hit (a golf ball) with the heel of a club, causing the ball to veer in the wrong direction
"He shanked the drive and sent the ball spinning into the thick rough on the right side of the fairway."
To travel on foot.
"We decided to shank it across town instead of taking the bus."
Bad.
"The shanks of those old jeans are so torn that they look terrible on me."
A surname.
"My neighbor, Mr. Shank, always greets me with a warm smile before I head to work."