The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Shirk \Shirk\, n.
   One who lives by shifts and tricks; one who avoids the
   performance of duty or labor.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Shirk \Shirk\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shirked; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Shirking.] [Probably the same word as shark. See Shark,
   v. t.]
   1. To procure by petty fraud and trickery; to obtain by mean
      solicitation.
      [1913 Webster]

            You that never heard the call of any vocation, . . .
            that shirk living from others, but time from
            Yourselves.                           --Bp. Rainbow.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To avoid; to escape; to neglect; -- implying
      unfaithfulness or fraud; as, to shirk duty.
      [1913 Webster]

            The usual makeshift by which they try to shirk
            difficulties.                         --Hare.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Shirk \Shirk\, v. i.
   1. To live by shifts and fraud; to shark.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To evade an obligation; to avoid the performance of duty,
      as by running away.
      [1913 Webster]

            One of the cities shirked from the league. --Byron.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

shirk
    v 1: avoid (one's assigned duties); "The derelict soldier
         shirked his duties" [syn: fiddle, shirk, shrink from,
         goldbrick]
    2: avoid dealing with; "She shirks her duties"

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

56 Moby Thesaurus words for "shirk":
   abandon, avoid, bilk, burke, bypass, creep, cut, dodge, dog it,
   double, duck, duck duty, eschew, evade, fence, get around,
   get out of, goldbrick, goof off, gumshoe, jump, leave,
   leave loose ends, leave undone, let alone, let be, let dangle,
   let go, lurk, malinger, miss, not pull fair, omit, parry,
   pass over, pass up, pretermit, procrastinate, pussyfoot,
   shrink from, shun, sidestep, skip, skive, skulk, slack,
   slide out of, slink, slip, slip out of, snake, sneak out of,
   soldier, steal, trifle, welsh