To push roughly with the hands or body; the plural noun form also means a series of rough pushes.
From Old English 'scufan' (to push), related to Old Saxon and Old High German words. Has meant physical pushing since Anglo-Saxon times.
In crowded places like subway cars, people develop an unspoken 'pushing grammar'—firm shoves mean 'move, I need space' while gentle pushes mean 'excuse me,' and we all instinctively understand these force-based messages.
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