# sheepshank

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈʃiːpʃæŋk/

## Definitions
1. A type of knot which is useful for shortening a rope or taking up slack without cutting it.

## Etymology
Originally sheepshank knot or sheepshanks knot, from sheep + shank (“part of the leg between the knee and ankle”); the connection between the knot and a sheep’s leg is unclear.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/sheepshank