Shaft may refer to:

Rotating machine elements

Shaft (mechanical engineering) A shaft is a rotating machine element, usually circular in cross section, which is used to transmit power from one part to another, or from a machine which produces power to a machine which absorbs power. Types They are mainly classified into two ...

, a rotating machine element used to transmit power *

Line shaft A line shaft is a power-driven rotating shaft for power transmission that was used extensively from the Industrial Revolution until the early 20th century. Prior to the widespread use of electric motors small enough to be connected directly to e ...

, a power transmission system *

Drive shaft A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power (physics), power and torque and rotation, usually ...

, a shaft for transferring torque *

Axle An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearing ...

, a shaft around which one or more wheels rotate

Vertical narrow passages

Elevator shaft An elevator or lift is a cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or decks of a building, vessel, or other structure. They are ...

, a vertical passage housing a lift or elevator *

Ventilation shaft In subterranean civil engineering, ventilation shafts, also known as airshafts or vent shafts, are vertical passages used in mines and tunnels to move fresh air underground, and to remove stale air. In architecture, an airshaft is a small, ...

, a vertical passage used in mines and tunnels to move fresh air underground, and to remove stale air *

Shaft (civil engineering) In civil engineering a shaft is an underground vertical or inclined passageway. Shafts are often entered through a manhole and closed by a manhole cover. They are constructed for a number of reasons including: * For the construction of a tunnel ...

, an underground vertical or inclined passageway *

Pitch (ascent/descent) In rock climbing and ice climbing, a pitch is a steep section of a route that requires a rope between two belays, as part of a climbing system. Standard climbing ropes are between 50 and 80 metres long, so a pitch is always shorter, between two c ...

, a significant underground vertical space in caving terminology *

Shaft mining Shaft mining or shaft sinking is the action of excavating a mine shaft from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom. Shaft (civil engineering), Shallow shafts, typically sunk for civil engineering projects, differ greatly ...

, the method of excavating a vertical or near-vertical tunnel from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom * Shafting, illicit travelling through shafts

Long narrow rigid bodies

* The body of a

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

, or the column itself *

Handle (grip) A handle is a part of, or attachment to, an object that allows it to be grasped and manipulated by hand. The design of each type of handle involves substantial ergonomic issues, even where these are dealt with intuitively or by following tra ...

of hand-tools *

Shaft (golf) The shaft of a Golf club (equipment), golf club is the long, tapered tube which connects the golfer's hands to the Glossary of golf#Club-head, club head. While hundreds of different designs exist, the primary purpose of the golf shaft remains the s ...

, the long, tapered tube which connects the golfer’s hands to the club head * Staff, various applications

Fiction

* ''Shaft'' (franchise), a media franchise involving novels, comics, TV, film ** ''Shaft'' (novel), 1970 novel by Ernest Tidyman about an African-American private detective ** ''Shaft'' (1971 film), a film based on the novel *** ''Shaft'' (song), theme song from the original film, serving as the theme for the entire franchise ** ''Shaft'' (2000 film), a direct sequel/spin-off of the 1971 film, released in 2000, and fourth film in the series *** ''Shaft'' (2000 soundtrack) ** ''Shaft'' (2019 film), a direct sequel to the 2000 film and fifth film in the series ** ''Shaft'' (TV series), a 1973-1974 series of TV movies ** ''Shaft'' (Dynamite Entertainment), a comic book series based on the character John Shaft **

John Shaft John Shaft is a fictional character created by author/screenwriter Ernest Tidyman for the 1970 novel of the same name. He was portrayed by Richard Roundtree in the original 1971 film and in its four sequels, '' Shaft's Big Score!'' (1972), '' Sh ...

, the titular character of the franchise * Shaft (''Castlevania''), the dark priest from the ''Castlevania'' video game series *

Shaft (Marvel Comics) The Chaste is a fictional heroic mystical martial arts enclave appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The organization was depicted as being led by Stick, who was created by Frank Miller in the pages of ''Daredevil''. The ...

, a Marvel Comics ninja character *

Shaft (Image Comics) Shaft (Jeff Terrel) is a fictional superhero created by writer/artist Rob Liefeld. Liefeld created the character for his Extreme Studios as the leader of superhero team Youngblood. Fictional character biography Jeff Terrel is an undercover ...

, a comic book character created by Rob Liefeld for his comic ''Youngblood'' * ''Down'' (film), a 2001 horror film also known as ''The Shaft''

Music

Shaft (rave group) Shaft was an English electronic music group, scoring a top 10 hit on the UK Singles Chart in December 1991 with "Roobarb & Custard". It featured recreated vocal samples from the vintage children's television cartoon '' Roobarb'', as well as a ...

, a UK dance music act which had a 1991 hit with "Roobarb and Custard" sampling vintage children's television programme ''Roobarb'' *

Shaft (British electronic duo) Shaft are an English electronic music production duo, known for their covers and remixes of " (Mucho Mambo) Sway" and " Mambo Italiano". The former entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart in August 1999, then reached number ...

, a dance music act which had a 1999 hit with a cover-remix of "(Mucho Mambo) Sway" *

Shaft (New Zealand band) Shaft is the long-standing vehicle of songwriter Robert Cardy (aka Bob Brannigan), original guitarist for the band The Axemen and a stalwart of the New Zealand underground scene. When the Axemen took a break in 1992, Cardy was jamming with Axe ...

, a New Zealand indie band * Shaft (club), a blues and jazz club in Istanbul, Turkey * ''Shaft'' (Isaac Hayes album), the soundtrack for the film of the same name, recorded by Isaac Hayes ** " Theme from ''Shaft''", performed by Isaac Hayes * ''Shaft'' (Bernard Purdie album), a 1971 jazz album featuring a cover of the above track

Places

* Borden Shaft, Maryland, formerly called Shaft *

Shaft County Shaft County ( fa, شهرستان شفت) is located in Gilan province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the ...

, an administrative division of Gīlan Province in Iran * Shaft, Iran, the capital of Shaft County * Shaft, Bushehr, a village and island in Bushehr Province, Iran

Other

Shaft (company) Shaft (stylized as SHAFT; ja, 株式会社シャフト, Hepburn: ), also known as Shaft Animation Studio, is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Suginami, Tokyo, and founded in 1975. Since 2004, the studio's productions have been broad ...

, a Japanese animation studio * Penis shaft, a part of the penis *

Diaphysis The diaphysis is the main or midsection (shaft) of a long bone. It is made up of cortical bone and usually contains bone marrow and adipose tissue (fat). It is a middle tubular part composed of compact bone which surrounds a central marrow cavit ...

, shaft of a long bone {{disambiguation