shuttle
SHUT-ul
/ˈʃʌtl/
A vehicle that travels back and forth frequently over a short route; or to travel/transport back and forth in this manner.
Emphasizes repeated back-and-forth movement over a fixed, relatively short distance.
The story behind the word. From Old English scutel ('dart, missile'), related to sceotan ('to shoot'). In weaving, a shuttle is the wooden tool shot back and forth across thread on a loom. In the 19th century, this back-and-forth action inspired calling rapid short-distance trains 'shuttles'.
Word relationships
- ferry: 'Ferry' usually implies water transport, while 'shuttle' typically refers to buses, trains, or land/air transport.
- feeder service: 'Feeder service' is technical transit jargon for secondary routes feeding into a main line.
- non-stop trip: A direct journey with no back-and-forth circulation.
Commonly confused with
- commute: 'Commute' is the regular home-to-work travel of a person; 'shuttle' refers to the vehicle or action of back-and-forth movement over a short route.
Collocations
- shuttle bus
- airport shuttle
- space shuttle
- shuttle diplomacy
Idioms & expressions
- shuttle diplomacy (negotiations conducted by a mediator traveling back and forth)
Example sentences
- "A complimentary hotel shuttle carries guests directly from the airport terminal to their hotel every fifteen minutes." Airport transport services
- "The diplomat spent weeks shuttling between the two warring capitals to negotiate a peace treaty." Diplomatic strategy
Memory hook
Like a weaver's shuttle darting back and forth across thread, a shuttle bus darts back and forth across town. Back and forth over short distances.
When not to use
Do not use for long, non-repeating, cross-country journeys across vast oceans.
Fun facts
- NASA's Space Shuttle program was named after this concept because the spacecraft were reusable vehicles meant to travel back and forth into low Earth orbit repeatedly.
Related words
Also appears in
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