Origin of shuffle
1525–35; < Low German
schuffeln to walk clumsily or with dragging feet, mix (cards); akin to
shovel
OTHER WORDS FROM shuffle
re·shuf·fle, verb re·shuf·fled, re·shuf·fling, noun un·shuf·fled, adjectiveWords nearby shuffle
shucking and jiving,
shucks,
shudder,
shuddering,
shudra,
shuffle,
shuffle off,
shuffle play,
shuffleboard,
shuffler,
shuffling
British Dictionary definitions for shuffle off (1 of 2)
shuffle off
verb
(tr, adverb)
to thrust off or put aside
shuffle off responsibility
British Dictionary definitions for shuffle off (2 of 2)
shuffle
/ (ˈʃʌfəl) /
verb
noun
the act or an instance of shuffling
a dance or dance step with short dragging movements of the feet
Derived forms of shuffle
shuffler, nounWord Origin for shuffle
C16: probably from Low German
schüffeln; see
shove
Idioms and Phrases with shuffle off
shuffle off
Get rid of, act evasively, as in They've tried to shuffle off public inquiries about the safety of their planes. This usage, dating from about 1600, also appears in the oft-quoted shuffle off this mortal coil, from Shakespeare's Hamlet (3:1), where it means “become freed from the turmoil of life,” that is, “die.”
Move away reluctantly, dragging one's feet, as in The prisoners shuffled off to their work detail. [Late 1500s]