shanghai
UK[ʃaŋˈhaɪ]US[ˈʃæŋˌhaɪ]
v
To force or trick someone into doing something or going somewhere, especially into working on a ship.
v
To compel someone into a place or situation by force or deception.
Etymology
The verb 'shanghai' originates from the mid-19th century practice of forcibly recruiting sailors for long and arduous voyages, often to the Orient. The port of Shanghai, China, was a common and notoriously distant destination for such voyages, symbolizing the extreme and involuntary nature of the journey. The city's name, from the local Chinese dialect meaning "upon the sea," became a byword for this specific form of coercion. Over time, the term generalized to mean compelling anyone into any unwanted situation through trickery or force, though it retains its strong nautical connotations.
Analysis
This word is a toponym, a loanword derived from the name of the Chinese city of Shanghai. It does not consist of separable morphemes in English.
Examples
The young man was shanghaied in a dockside tavern and woke up on a whaling ship.
I feel like I was shanghaied into organizing the entire office party.
In the old tales, pirates would often shanghai unsuspecting drunks to serve as crew.