High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! A shack is a type of small house that is in disrepair. The word may derive from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word xacalli or "adobe house" by way of Mexican Spanish xacal/jacal, which has the same meaning as "shack". It was a common usage among people of Mexican ancestry throughout the U.S. southwest and was picked up by speakers of American English. It is possible that up to a billion people worldwide live in shacks. Fire is a key hazard in shack settlements. ...