Shuttle means to travel back and forth repeatedly between two places, like a bus that shuttles students between school and home every day. The word comes from weaving, where a shuttle carries thread back and forth through a loom, creating fabric through constant repetition.

You've probably heard of a space shuttle, the reusable spacecraft that NASA used to carry astronauts and cargo back and forth between Earth and space. The name fits perfectly: these vehicles made round trips, launching into orbit and then returning to land on a runway.

A shuttle bus or shuttle service runs a regular route between specific locations. Hotels often provide shuttles to the airport. Some cities run shuttles between parking lots and downtown areas. The key idea is regular, repeated trips along the same path.

People also use shuttle as a verb in everyday conversation. A parent might shuttle kids between soccer practice, piano lessons, and home. During the holidays, someone might shuttle dishes between the kitchen and dining room table.

In badminton, a shuttlecock (or just shuttle) is the feathered projectile players hit back and forth across the net, named because it shuttles between the two sides of the court.