shebang
[ shuh-bang ]
noun
Informal. the structure of something, as of an organization, contrivance, or affair: The whole shebang fell apart when the chairman quit.
a primitive dwelling; shack; shanty.
Origin of shebang
11860–65, Americanism; origin uncertain (perhaps alteration of char-à-banc, though sense shift unclear; shebeen, often cited as the source, is implausible both phonetically and semantically)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for shebang
shebang
/ (ʃɪˈbæŋ) /
nounslang
a situation, matter, or affair (esp in the phrase the whole shebang)
a hut or shack
Origin of shebang
1C19: of uncertain origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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