English - Etymology
Common Middle English surname meaning "spearman," corresponding to shake (“brandish a weapon”) + spear.
English - Proper Noun
- A surname.
- William Shakespeare, an English playwright and poet of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries
- His works or media adaptations of his works.
Usage notes
- (William Shakespeare): Note that Shakespeare's manuscripts use a great many different spellings of his surname, way too many to list here. (At the time, some name spellings were much more variable than today, see Spelling of Shakespeare's name for a list.)
Derived terms
Translations
English - Noun
Shakespeare (countable and uncountable, plural Shakespeares)
- (uncountable) Eloquent language, especially English; poetry.
- (countable) A playwright of the standing of William Shakespeare