What does shinnied mean?
“Shinnied” is the past tense and past participle of “shinny,” an informal verb meaning to climb using the hands and feet, usually by gripping a tree, pole, or similar surface. It often suggests a quick or scrambling ascent: children shinny up a tree, or someone shinnies over a fence. The expression “shinny up” is the most familiar form, while the isolated verb can also mean to move upward over an obstacle. Although “shinnied” and “shiny” can sound similar, their meanings are unrelated: “shiny” describes a bright, reflective surface. The word is conversational rather than formal and is especially associated with climbing games and childhood play, though it is used literally in descriptions of climbing as well.
verbTo climb a tree or other surface using the hands and feet alternately, especially in a scrambling manner. The past tense and past participle are also spelled “shinned,” though “shinnied” is the conventional form in the related adjective “shiny.”
- To climb using the hands and feet alternately, especially up a tree or pole.
- To move upward or scramble over an obstacle.
"The children shinnied up the old oak as soon as the groundskeeper turned away."
"He shinnied up the telephone pole to retrieve the kite."
"The fox shinnied over the wall and disappeared into the garden."
To “shinny” is to climb as if your knees and hands are in on the negotiation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does shinnied come from?
The verb “shinny” developed in English during the nineteenth century and is generally associated with gripping or climbing with the shins. Its later familiar form “shinny up” reflects this older sense of climbing with the limbs. The word ultimately evokes “shin,” an older English term for the part of the leg between the knee and ankle.
How shinnied is actually used
The expression is most natural in the idiom “shinny up,” especially in British and American English. It can sound playful or describe a hurried, awkward climb.
Easily confused with shinnied
“Shinny” describes something polished or reflective, whereas “shinnied” means climbed using the hands and feet.
“Shinnied” is the standard past-tense form in the phrase “shinny up,” while “shinned” is the ordinary past tense of “shin,” as in “he shinned his knee.”