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. Cognate with Middle Low German schocken (“collide with, deliver a blow to, move back and forth”), Old High German scoc (“a jolt, swing”), Middle High German schocken (“to swing”) (German schaukeln), Old Norse skykkr (“vibration, surging motion”), Icelandic skykkjun (“tremulously”), Middle English schiggen (“to shake”). Doublet of shog.
Figuratively Something so surprising that it is stunning.
My mother's news was a shock I still haven't recovered from.
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Human sciences, Psychology, Sciences A sudden or violent emotional disturbance.
Carl had a shock at what he found.
A tremendous shock arises when a secret is discovered.2005, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, David Kessler, On Grief and Grieving, →ISBN, page 85:
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An experience that leaves someone shaken; a very surprising, exhilarating or amazing experience.
The surprising blast of cold water on my face was a tremendous shock.
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Medicine, Sciences Electric shock, a sudden burst of electrical energy hitting a person or animal.
We gave him a couple shocks, but the patient passed away anywway.
But as was the case with pacemakers, external defibrillators were unwieldy, and the shocks they delivered—in the rare cases when patients were still conscious—were painful.2018, Sandeep Jauhar, Heart: a History, →ISBN, page 173:
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Medicine, Neurology, Neuroscience, Sciences The stimulation of nerves and convulsive contraction of muscles caused by electrical current flowing through a body.
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Human sciences, Psychology, Sciences A state of distress following a mental or emotional disturbance, often caused by news or other stimuli.
Fans were in shock in the days following the singer's death.
The shock she felt kept her in a daze the rest of the day.
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". . . Maureen, I don't feel sad. I don't feel anything. What's wrong with me?" "Nothing, Cae," she said. "You just haven't been able to take it in yet. Absorb the shock of it."2008, Wally Lamb, The Hour I First Believed, Ch.5, at p.112
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Medicine, Sciences Circulatory shock, a medical emergency characterized by the inability of the circulatory system to supply enough oxygen to meet tissue requirements.
Call an ambulance, he's in shock!
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Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics A shock wave.
Several reflected shocks enter the bomb core in rapid succession, each helping to compress it to its maximum density.
If your truck's been riding rough, it might need new shocks.
We're bonin' on the dark blocks / Wearin' out the shocks, wettin' up the dashboard clock1993, “Back Seat (of My Jeep)”, in 14 Shots to the Dome, performed by LL Cool J:
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At the rear, you'll find a single, centrally mounted shock, the now-familiar single-sided swingarm and BMW's Paralever shaft-drive system, which does away with most of a shafty's chassis-jacking bugaboos.1994, Cycle World Magazine, volume 33, number 1, page 49:
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Mathematics, Sciences A discontinuity arising in the solution of a partial differential equation.
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A chemical added to a swimming pool to moderate the chlorine levels.
The warehouse that caught fire contained 99% trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) – used to make chlorinated tablets to control bacteria and algae – and 99% dichloroisocyanuric acid (DCCA), which is used to make swimming pool shock – a treatment used to help break down contaminants.2024 November 24, Chris Boyette, “Investigators release update on BioLab chemical plant fire probe”, in CNN:
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. Cognate with Middle Low German schocken (“collide with, deliver a blow to, move back and forth”), Old High German scoc (“a jolt, swing”), Middle High German schocken (“to swing”) (German schaukeln), Old Norse skykkr (“vibration, surging motion”), Icelandic skykkjun (“tremulously”), Middle English schiggen (“to shake”). Doublet of shog.
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Causing intense surprise, horror, etc.; unexpected and shocking.
His shock announcement rocked the tennis world.
shock
verb
Etymology
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. Cognate with Middle Low German schocken (“collide with, deliver a blow to, move back and forth”), Old High German scoc (“a jolt, swing”), Middle High German schocken (“to swing”) (German schaukeln), Old Norse skykkr (“vibration, surging motion”), Icelandic skykkjun (“tremulously”), Middle English schiggen (“to shake”). Doublet of shog.
To cause to be emotionally shocked; to cause (someone) to feel greatly surprised or upset.
The disaster shocked the world.
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To strike with disgust, to offend, scandalize.
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To give an electric shock to.
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To subject to a shock wave or violent impact.
Ammonium nitrate can detonate if severely shocked.
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Obsolete To meet with a shock; to collide in a violent encounter.
They saw the moment approach when the two parties would shock together.1832, Thomas De Quincey, Klosterheim Or, the Masque:
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Cooking, Food, Lifestyle To cook something very briefly in a hot liquid, then immediately submerge it in ice water to stop the cooking process.
Can you shock the spinach over there?
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To add a chemical to (a swimming pool) to moderate the chlorine levels.
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Geography, Geology, Natural sciences To deform the crystal structure of a stone by the application of extremely high pressure at moderate temperature, as produced only by hypervelocity impact events, lightning strikes, and nuclear explosions.
It takes more than two gigapascals (two billion pascals) of pressure to shock quartz in this manner (for comparison, the atmosphere at sea level exerts a little over 100,000 pascals of pressure).2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 44:
Cause it on shocks to be by and by set.1557, Thomas Tusser, Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry:
Behind the Master walks, builds up the Shocks.a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Autumn”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC:
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Business, CommerceDated A lot consisting of sixty pieces; a term applied in some Baltic ports to loose goods.
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Broadly A tuft or bunch of something, such as hair or grass.
His head boasted a shock of sandy hair.
Every now and then I’m startled at how good-looking John is, but he glared at me from under the shock of hair that fell across his brow and scared me a little.1968 October 12, Paul Zindel, chapter 12, in The Pigman:
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On day three I pointed at the edge of an intricate pentagram peeking above her shock of oily black hair.2019, Hal Y. Zhang, Hard Mother, Spider Mother, Soft Mother, Brooklyn, NY: Radix Media, →ISBN, page 2:
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Obsolete A small dog with long shaggy hair, especially a poodle or spitz; a shaggy lapdog.
When I read of witty persons, I could not figure them but like the little shock. (translating the German Spitz)1827, Thomas Carlyle, The Fair-Haired Eckbert: