shake‧down /ˈʃeɪkdaʊn/ noun [countable]

1. American English informal when someone gets money from another person by using threats:
a Mafia shakedown

2. American English informal a thorough search of a place or a person:
No weapons were found during the shakedown.

3. a period of time when people start to get used to a new arrangement and it becomes more effective

4. a period of time when prices are falling on a financial market

5. a final test of a boat, plane etc before it is put into general use:
The new system is in its shakedown phase.

6. the final shakedown the final situation, after a lot of other things have happened

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

shakedown
n.
1. A test.
Let's take the new car out and give it a shakedown.
2. An act of extorting money by threatening.
It was a nasty shakedown, to get $500 from the old man, promising to protect him.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲