Wordnet 3.0
NOUN (1)
1.
a gesture involving the shoulders;
VERB (1)
1.
raise one's shoulders to indicate indifference or resignation;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Shrug \Shrug\ (shr[u^]g), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shrugged
(shr[u^]gd); p. pr. & vb. n. Shrugging (shr[u^]g"g[i^]ng).]
[Probably akin to shrink, p. p. shrunk; cf. Dan. skrugge,
skrukke, to stoop, dial. Sw. skrukka, skruga, to crouch.]
To draw up or contract (the shoulders), especially by way of
expressing doubt, indifference, dislike, dread, or the like.
[1913 Webster]
He shrugs his shoulders when you talk of securities.
--Addison.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Shrug \Shrug\, v. i.
To raise or draw up the shoulders, as in expressing doubt,
indifference, dislike, dread, or the like.
[1913 Webster]
They grin, they shrug.
They bow, they snarl, they snatch, they hug. --Swift.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
shrug \shrug\, n.
A gesture consisting of drawing up the shoulders, -- a motion
usually expressing doubt, indifference, or dislike; -- it is
sometimes accompanied by a slight turning of the hands
outward or upward. Such a gesture may be made, as in
answering "who knows" to a question, suggesting utter
ignorance of an answer and a disinclination to pursue the
topic further.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
On Sept. 23, in a major speech in New York, the
chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commision,
Arthur Levitt asked the Big Board to spike the rule
[Rule 390] in the interest of free and unfettered
markets. . . . Mr. Grasso responded with a shrug,
saying that he had no plans to kill the rule.
--Gretchen
Morgenson (N.
Y. Times Nov.
28, 1999 sect.
3 p. 1.
[PJC]
The Spaniards talk in dialogues
Of heads and shoulders, nods and shrugs. --Hudibras.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
shrug
n 1: a gesture involving the shoulders
v 1: raise one's shoulders to indicate indifference or
resignation
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
41 Moby Thesaurus words for "shrug":
accept, bearing, beck, beckon, body language, carriage, charade,
chironomy, condone, countenance, dactylology,
deaf-and-dumb alphabet, dumb show, gesticulate, gesticulation,
gesture, gesture language, grin and abide, hand signal, kinesics,
let go by, let pass, mime, motion, motion to, movement, obey,
overlook, pantomime, poise, pose, posture, rise above, saw the air,
shrug it off, shrug the shoulders, sign language, stance,
submit to, wave the arms, yield to