Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

take the shilling

/teɪk ðə ˈʃɪlɪŋ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.17 in modern English

Syllables: take the shil-ling
IPA: /teɪk ðə ˈʃɪlɪŋ/

26

Scrabble Score

15

Letters

2

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To enlist as a soldier in the British army or navy by accepting a shilling from a recruiting officer.

British usage; Intransitive verb

verb

To enlist as a soldier of any military force; to join the armed forces.

Dated; Intransitive verb

verb

To be on the payroll of an organization; to work for an organization.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"[O]ne fellow was jilted by his miſtreſs and took the ſhilling in deſpair; […]"
"I have taken the King's shilling, but perhaps if you came for me they would let me go back with you. I was a fool when I did it. I don't want to be in the army."
"My earlier warnings, both in RAIL and in an article I wrote for The Times, have not fallen on deaf ears. There are many people (I suspect most) in the [rail] industry who recognise that telling people not to use their trains will cause lasting damage, but they are silenced publicly because they are now taking the Government's shilling."

Etymology

A reference to the practice during the 18th and 19th century of a recruiting officer getting a person to enlist in the British Army or Royal Navy by accepting (or being tricked into accepting) a shilling, which was then a soldier’s daily pay. The practice was officially ended in 1879.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /teɪk ðə ˈʃɪlɪŋ/
British English: /teɪk ðə ˈʃɪlɪŋ/

Usage

Inflected Forms

takes the shilling (present, singular) taking the shilling (participle, present) took the shilling (past) taken the shilling (participle, past)

Phrases

King's shilling Queen's shilling military service the world

Frequently Paired Words

King's shilling Queen's shilling impressment military service the world

Rhymes With

killing willing filling drilling fulfilling unwilling chilling thrilling billing spilling bing chilling milling

Questions

How do you pronounce take the shilling?: The recorded pronunciation is /teɪk ðə ˈʃɪlɪŋ/.
What does take the shilling mean?: To enlist as a soldier in the British army or navy by accepting a shilling from a recruiting officer.
Where does take the shilling come from?: A reference to the practice during the 18th and 19th century of a recruiting officer getting a person to enlist in the British Army or Royal Navy by accepting (or being tricked into accepting) a shilling, which was then a soldier’s daily pay. The practice was officially ended in 1879.

How to pronounce take the shilling

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “take the shilling”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/teɪk ðə ˈʃɪlɪŋ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “take the shilling”.
Repeat and practice — Say “take the shilling” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.