Shore

Shore, a word meaning (I) the margin or edge of land when bordering on a large piece of water, whether of an ocean or sea or lake, "bank" taking its place when applied to the borders on either side of a river; for the legal aspect of the "shore," i.e., the space bordering on tidal waters between high and low water mark, see Foreshore; (2) a prop of timber, used as a support, temporary or permanent, for a building when threatening to fall or during reconstruction (see Shoring), and more particularly a timber support placed against a ship's side when building on the stocks, or when ready for launching on the slips; the props which are the final supports knocked away at the moment of launching are called the "dog-shores," one of the very numerous uses of "dog" for mechanical devices of many kinds (see Shipbuilding). Both words are to be derived ultimately from the same source, viz., the root seen in "shear," to cut off; in sense (I) the word means a part cut or "shorn" off, an edge, and appears in M.Eng. as schore, from O. Eng. sceran, to cut, shear; in sense (2) it is of Scandinavian origin and is an adaptation of the Nor. skora, a piece of timber cut off to serve as a prop or support.