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Definition of: shake-down
(shāk′doun′) noun
1. A bed of straw shaken down; hence, any makeshift bed.
2. U.S. Slang A swindle; a share of graft; extortion money.
3. A noisy, energetic dance common among Negroes of the southern United States.
—adjective For the purpose of adjusting mechanical parts or habituating people: a shake–down cruise.
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