shuffling
|shuf-fling|
🇺🇸
/ˈʃʌfəlɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˈʃʌf(ə)lɪŋ/
(shuffle)
dragging or mixing
Etymology
'shuffle' originates from Middle English (late Middle English) probably from a frequentative form related to Old English 'scūfan'/'scufian', where the root meant 'to push, shove' or from imitative origins representing a scraping/dragging sound.
'shuffle' changed from Middle English 'shufflen' (a frequentative/derivative form) likely influenced by Old English 'scufian' and the verbal root related to 'shove', and eventually became the modern English word 'shuffle'.
Initially connected with a sense of 'pushing' or a scraping/dragging action, over time it evolved into meanings specifically for 'mixing or randomizing (cards, papers)' and 'walking with short, sliding or dragging steps'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act of mixing or rearranging cards (or similar items) to randomize their order.
The shuffling of the deck took nearly a minute.
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Noun 2
a manner of walking characterized by small sliding or dragging steps.
I heard the shuffling of feet down the hallway.
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Verb 1
present participle of 'shuffle': performing the action of mixing, rearranging, or moving by sliding/dragging (cards, papers, feet, etc.).
She was shuffling the cards before the game.
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Last updated: 2025/11/22 11:08