Online Etymology Dictionary

shifty (adj.): 1560s, "able to manage for oneself, fertile in expedients," from shift (n.1) in secondary sense of "dodge, trick, artifice" + -y (2). Meaning "habitually using dishonest methods, characterized by trickery" first recorded 1837. In a sense "prone to shifting," of the wind, used from 1884. Related: Shiftily; shiftiness.
shih-tzu (n.): also shih tzu, breed of small long-haired dog, 1921, from Chinese shizigou, from shi "lion" + zi "son" + gou "dog."
Shiism (n.): 1883, from Shia + -ism.
shiitake (n.): 1877, from Japanese, from shii, name of several types of evergreen trees, + take "mushroom."
Shiite (n.): 1728, "a member of the Shia sect of Islam," from Shia + -ite (1), Latin-derived suffix denoting "follower."
Shikoku: Japanese island, literally "four provinces," from shi "four" + koku "province."
shiksa (n.): "gentile girl," in Jewish culture, dismissive or disparaging, 1892, from Yiddish shikse, from Hebrew siqsa, from sheqes "a detested thing" + fem. suffix -a.
shill (n.): "one who acts as a decoy for a gambler, auctioneer, etc.," 1916, probably originally circus or carnival argot, probably a shortened form of shillaber (1913) with the same meaning, origin unknown. The verb is attested from 1914. Related: Shilled; shilling.
shillelagh (n.): "cudgel," 1772, earlier, "oak wood used to make cudgels" (1670s), from Shillelagh, town and barony, famous for its oaks, in County Wicklow, Ireland. The name is literally "seeds (or descendants) of Elach, from Irish siol "seed."
shilling (n.): Old English scilling, a coin consisting of a varying number of pence (on the continent, a common scale was 12 pennies to a shilling, 20 shillings to a pound), from Proto-Germanic *skillingoz- (source also of Old Saxon, Danish, Swedish, Old Frisian, Old High German skilling, Old Norse skillingr, Dutch schelling, German Schilling, Gothic skilliggs).

Some etymologists trace this to the root *skell- "to resound, to ring," and others to the root *(s)kel- (1) "to cut" (perhaps via sense of "shield" from resemblance or as a device on coins; see shield (n.)). The ending may represent the diminutive suffix -ling, or Germanic -ing "fractional part" (compare farthing). Old Church Slavonic skulezi, Polish szeląg, Spanish escalin, French schelling, Italian scellino are loan-words from Germanic.
shilly-shally (v.): "to vacillate," 1782, from adverbial expression to stand shilly-shally (1703), earlier shill I, shall I (1700), a fanciful reduplication of shall I? (compare wishy-washy, dilly-dally, etc.). From 1734 as an adjective, by 1755 as a noun. Related: Shilly-shallying (1816).
Shiloh: village on the west bank of the Jordan River, perhaps from an alteration of Hebrew shalo "to be peaceful." The American Civil War battle (April 6-7, 1862) was so called for being fought around the Shiloh church in Tennessee, which was destroyed in the battle.
shim (n.): 1723, a Kentish word of unknown origin. Originally a piece of iron fitted to a plow for scraping soil; meaning "thin slip of wood to fill up a space or raise a level" is from 1860.
shim (v.): "to wedge up a surface by means of a shim," 1877, from shim (n.). Related: Shimmed; shimming.
shimmer (v.): Old English scimerian "to glitter, shimmer, glisten, shine," related to (perhaps a frequentative of) scimian "to shine," from Proto-Germanic *skim- (source also of Swedish skimra, Dutch schemeren "to glitter," German schimmern), from PIE root *skai- "to gleam, to shine" (see shine (v.). Related: Shimmered; shimmering.
shimmer (n.): "a tremulous light," 1821, from shimmer (v.).
shimmy (v.): "do a suggestive dance," 1918, perhaps via phrase shake the shimmy, which is possibly from shimmy (n.), a U.S. dialectal form of chemise (mistaken as a plural; compare shammy) first recorded 1837. Or perhaps the verb is related to shimmer (v.) via a notion of glistening light. Transferred sense of "vibration of a motor vehicle" is from 1925. Related: Shimmied; shimmying. As a noun, the name of a popular, fast, suggestive pre-flapper dance, by 1919.
shin (n.): Old English scinu "shin, fore part of the lower leg," from Proto-Germanic *skino "thin piece" (source also of Dutch scheen, Old High German scina, German Schienbein "shin, shinbones"), from PIE root *skei- "to cut, split" (see shed (v.)). Shin splints is attested from 1930.
shin (v.): "to climb by using arms and legs" (originally a nautical word), 1829, from shin (n.). Related: Shinned; shinning.
Shin Bet (n.): Israeli security service, 1964, from Modern Hebrew shin + bet, names of the initial letters of sherut bitahon (kelali) "(general) security service."
shindig (n.): "dance, party, lively gathering," 1871, probably from shindy "a spree, merrymaking" (1821), also "a game like hockey;" perhaps from shinty, name of a Scottish game akin to hockey (1771), earlier shinny (see shinny (n.)).
shine (n.): 1520s, "brightness," from shine (v.). Meaning "polish given to a pair of boots" is from 1871. Derogatory meaning "black person" is from 1908 (perhaps from glossiness of skin or, on another guess, from frequent employment as shoeshines). Phrase to take a shine to "fancy" is American English slang from 1839, perhaps from shine up to "attempt to please as a suitor." Shiner is from late 14c. as "something that shines;" sense of "black eye" first recorded 1903, American English, in East Side immigrant dialect.
shine (v.): Old English scinan "shed light, be radiant, be resplendent, iluminate," of persons, "be conspicuous" (class I strong verb; past tense scan, past participle scinen), from Proto-Germanic *skinan (source also of Old Saxon and Old High German skinan, Old Norse and Old Frisian skina, Dutch schijnen, German scheinen, Gothic skeinan "to shine, appear"), from PIE root *skai- (2) "to gleam, shine, flicker" (source also of Sanskrit chaya "brilliance, luster; shadow," Greek skia "shade," Old Church Slavonic sinati "to flash up, shine," Albanian he "shadow"). Transitive meaning "to black (boots)" is from 1610s. Related: Shined (in the shoe polish sense), otherwise shone; shining.
shingle (n.1): "thin piece of wood," c. 1200, scincle, from Late Latin scindula (also the source of German Schindel), altered (by influence of Greek schidax "lath" or schindalmos "splinter") from Latin scandula "roof tile," from scindere "to cleave, split," from PIE root *sked- "to split." Meaning "small signboard" is first attested 1842. Sense of "woman's short haircut" is from 1924; the verb meaning "to cut the hair so as to give the impression of overlapping shingles" is from 1857.
shingle (n.2): "loose stones on a seashore," 1510s, probably related to Norwegian singl "small stones," or North Frisian singel "gravel," both said to be echoic of the sound of water running over pebbles.
shingle (v.): "cover with shingles" (of houses), 1560s, from shingle (n.). Related: Shingled; shingling.
shingles (n.): "inflammatory disease of the skin," late 14c., from Medieval Latin cingulus (loan-translation of Greek zoster "girdle"), variant of Latin cingulum "girdle," from cingere "to gird" (see cinch (n.)). The inflammation often extends around the middle of the body, like a girdle.
shinny (n.): also shinney, primitive form of hockey, 1670s, perhaps from Gaelic sinteag "a bound, a leap." OED suggests origin from shin ye "the cry used in the game."
shinny (v.): "to climb a rope, pole, etc.," 1888, from use of shins and ankles to do so; see shin (n.). Earlier simply shin (1829). Related: Shinnied; shinnying.
Shinola (n.): brand of shoe polish, by 1904, from shine + -ola.
shinplaster (n.): also shin-plaster, piece of paper soaked in vinegar and used to treat sore legs, from shin (n.) + plaster (n.). In U.S. history, jocularly or as a term of abuse for "devalued low-denomination paper currency" (1824).
Shinto (n.): native religious system of Japan, 1727, from Chinese shin tao "way of the gods," from shin "god, gods, spirit" + tao "way, path, doctrine." Related: Shintoism.
shiny (adj.): 1580s, from shine (n.) + -y (2). As a noun meaning "a shiny object" (also "money") from 1856. Related: Shininess.
ship (v.): c. 1300, "to send or transport (merchandise, people) by ship; to board a ship; to travel by ship, sail, set sail," also figurative, from ship (n.). Old English scipian is attested only in the senses "take ship, embark; be furnished with a ship." Transferred to other means of conveyance (railroad, etc.) from 1857, originally American English. Related: Shipped; shipping.
ship (n.): Old English scip "ship, boat," from Proto-Germanic *skipam (source also of Old Norse, Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Gothic skip, Danish skib, Swedish skepp, Middle Dutch scip, Dutch schip, Old High German skif, German Schiff), "Germanic noun of obscure origin" [Watkins]. Others suggest perhaps originally "tree cut out or hollowed out," and derive it from PIE root *skei- "to cut, split."

Now a vessel of considerable size, adapted to navigation; the Old English word was used for small craft as well, and definitions changed over time; in 19c., distinct from a boat in having a bowsprit and three masts, each with a lower, top, and topgallant mast. French esquif, Italian schifo are Germanic loan-words.

Phrase ships that pass in the night is from Longfellow's poem "Elizabeth" in "Tales of a Wayside Inn" (1863). Figurative use of nautical runs a tight ship (i.e., one that does not leak) is attested from 1965.
shipboard (n.): also ship-board, "side of a ship," c. 1200, from ship (n.) + board (n.2).
shipmate (n.): 1748, from ship (n.) + mate (n.1).
shipment (n.): 1802, "act of shipping;" 1861, "that which is shipped;" see ship (v.) + -ment.
shipping (n.): c. 1300, "a ship," from ship (n.). Meaning "act of sending (freight) by a ship, etc." is from late 15c. As "ships generally or collectively" from 1590s.
shipshape (adj.): also ship-shape, "properly arranged," 1640s, originally "according to the fashion of a (sailing) ship," where neatness is a priority and the rigging must be serviceable and stowed properly; from ship (n.) + shape (n.).
shipwreck (n.): mid-15c., from ship (n.) + wreck (n.). Earlier it meant "things cast up from a shipwreck" (c. 1100). The earlier word for "shipwreck" in the modern sense was Middle English schipbreke, "'ship-break,'" from a North Sea Germanic word; compare West Frisian skipbrek, Middle Dutch schipbroke, German Schiffbruch, Old English scipgebroc. Old English scipbryce meant "right to claim goods from a wrecked ship."
shipwreck (v.): 1580s, "cause to wreck;" c. 1600, "to suffer shipwreck," from shipwreck (n.). Related: Shipwrecked.
shipwright (n.): Old English scipwyrhta; see ship (n.) + wright (n.).
shipyard (n.): c. 1700, from ship (n.) + yard (n.1).
Shiraz (n.): wine made in the district of Shiraz, city in Persia, 1630s. As the name for a red wine made from a type of grape grown in the Rhône valley of France, it is recorded from 1908, from French syrah, the name apparently altered in English on mistaken notion that the grape was brought to Europe from the Middle East by Crusaders. The place name is said to be from Elamite sher "good" + raz "grape."
shire (n.): Old English scir "administrative office, jurisdiction, stewardship, authority," also in particular use "district, province, country," from Proto-Germanic *skizo (source also of Old High German scira "care, official charge"). Ousted since 14c. by Anglo-French county. The gentrified sense is from The Shires (1796), used by people in other parts of England of those counties that end in -shire; sense transferred to "hunting country of the Midlands" (1860).
shirk (v.): 1630s, "to practice fraud or trickery," also a noun (1630s, now obsolete) "a needy, disreputable parasite" [OED], perhaps from German schurke "scoundrel, rogue, knave, villain" (see shark (n.)). Sense of "evade one's work or duty" first recorded 1785, originally in slang. Related: Shirked; shirking.
shirker (n.): 1799, agent noun from shirk.
shirr (v.): "to gather (cloth) on parallel threads," 1860 (implied in shirring), back-formation from shirred (1847), from shirr (n.) "elastic webbing," of unknown origin.
shirt (n.): Old English scyrte "skirt, tunic," from Proto-Germanic *skurtjon "a short garment" (source also of Old Norse skyrta, Swedish skjorta "skirt, kirtle;" Middle Dutch scorte, Dutch schort "apron;" Middle High German schurz, German Schurz "apron"), related to Old English scort, sceort "short," from PIE *(s)ker- (1) "to cut" (see shear (v.)).

Formerly of the chief garment worn by both sexes, but in modern use long only of that for men; in reference to women's tops, reintroduced 1896. Bloody shirt, exposed as a symbol of outrage, is attested from 1580s. To give (someone) the shirt off one's back is from 1771. To lose one's shirt "suffer total financial loss" is from 1935. To keep one's shirt on "be patient" (1904) is from the notion of (not) stripping down for a fight.