Meaning & Definition of word "Shanghai"

Shanghai

/ˈʃæŋˌhaɪ/

1. A person who has been shanghaied, particularly into involuntary servitude.
- Example: Many shanghai victims never returned home after being taken against their will.

1. To coerce or trick (someone) into joining a ship, especially in the context of obtaining sailors through deceitful means.
- Example: In the 19th century, sailors were often shanghaied into service on merchant ships.
2. To kidnap or abduct a person for forced labor or to be used in a specific job.
- Example: The criminal gang was known to shanghai young men off the streets for their operations.
3. To engage or lure someone into a situation or commitment through dishonest means.
- Example: He felt shanghaied into the scheme when he realized the fine print hidden in the contract.

The term originated in the late 19th century, probably from Shanghai, a port in China, associated with the practice of forcibly recruiting sailors.

shanghaied:

To have been forcibly recruited or deceived into a situation.

shanghaiing:

The act of coercing someone into service, especially aboard a ship.

kidnapping:

The unlawful taking away of a person by force or fraud.

coercion:

The practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats.

Meaning: To trick someone into a commitment or responsibility.

Example Sentence: I can't believe I got shanghaied into planning the whole event!

Meaning: To be unexpectedly forced into a task or role.

Example Sentence: He was shanghaied into the project without any warning.