shanghai

UK: 'Shanghai': /ˈʃæŋˈhaɪ/; 'shanghai': /ˈʃæŋhaɪ/, /ʃæŋˈhaɪ/

US: /ˈʃæŋhaɪ, ʃæŋˈhaɪ/

US: 'Shanghai': (shang hī′; Chin. shäng′hī′); 'shanghai': (shang′hī, shang hī′)

Inflections of 'shanghai' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

shanghais

v 3rd person singular

shanghaiing

v pres p

shanghaied

v past

shanghaied

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

shang•hai /ˈʃæŋhaɪ, ʃæŋˈhaɪ/   v. [~ + object] , -haied, -hai•ing. 

1. to kidnap or otherwise force (a sailor) to become a member of the crew of a ship.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

shang•hai  (shang′hī, shang hī′), v.t., -haied, -hai•ing. [Naut.]

1. to enroll or obtain (a sailor) for the crew of a ship by unscrupulous means, as by force or the use of liquor or drugs.

• after Shanghai 1855–60

Shang•hai  (shang hī′; Chin. shäng′hī′), n. 

1. Place Names [Pinyin, Wade-Giles.] a seaport and municipality in E China, near the mouth of the Chang Jiang. 10,820,000.
2. a type of long-legged chicken believed to be of Asian origin.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

shanghai / ˈʃæŋhaɪ ʃæŋˈhaɪ/ verb ( -hais, -haiing, -haied)(transitive)

1. to kidnap (a civilian or sailor) for enforced service at sea, esp on a merchant ship
2. to force or trick (someone) into doing something, going somewhere, etc
3. to shoot with a catapult

noun

1. a catapult

Etymology: 19th Century: from the city of Shanghai; from the forceful methods formerly used to collect crews for voyages to East Asia

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Shanghai / ˈʃæŋˈhaɪ/ noun

1. a port in E China, capital of Shanghai municipality (traditionally in SE Jiangsu) near the estuary of the Yangtze: the largest city in China and one of the largest ports in the world; a major cultural and industrial centre, with many universities. Pop: 12 665 000 (2005 est)