The word shaft has several meanings:

1. A long, narrow part of something, especially the handle or pole of a tool or weapon. The shaft of an arrow is the straight wooden part between the point and the feathers. A golf club has a shaft connecting the grip to the head. Miners dig mine shafts straight down into the earth to reach valuable minerals.
2. A rotating rod that transmits power in a machine. When you pedal a bicycle, the drive shaft connects your pedaling to the wheels. Car engines use shafts to transfer power from the engine to the wheels. These spinning shafts are essential to how machines work.
3. A narrow beam of light. When sunlight streams through a crack in the curtains, you might see a shaft of light cutting through the darkness. Shafts of moonlight can shine through trees in a forest at night.
4. (Informal) To treat someone unfairly or cheat them. If someone gets shafted, they've been tricked or given a raw deal. You might feel shafted if you did most of the work on a group project but someone else took all the credit.