shutter

[shuht-er]

noun

1. a solid or louvered movable cover for a window.

2. a movable cover, slide, etc., for an opening.

3. a person or thing that shuts.

4. Photography.,  a mechanical device for opening and closing the aperture of a camera lens to expose film or the like.

verb (used with object)

1. to close or provide with shutters.

   She shuttered the windows.

2. to close (a store or business operations) for the day or permanently.

verb (used without object)

1. to close or close down.

   The factory has shuttered temporarily.

shutter

/ ˈʃʌtə /

noun

1. a hinged doorlike cover, often louvred and usually one of a pair, for closing off a window

2. to close business at the end of the day or permanently

3. photog an opaque shield in a camera that, when tripped, admits light to expose the film or plate for a predetermined period, usually a fraction of a second. It is either built into the lens system or lies in the focal plane of the lens ( focal-plane shutter )

4. photog a rotating device in a film projector that permits an image to be projected onto the screen only when the film is momentarily stationary

5. music one of the louvred covers over the mouths of organ pipes, operated by the swell pedal

6. a person or thing that shuts

verb

1. to close with or as if with a shutter or shutters

2. to equip with a shutter or shutters

Other Word Forms

• shutterless adjective
• unshuttered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of shutter¹

First recorded in 1535–45; shut + -er ¹

Synonym Study

See curtain.

Example Sentences

It’s evident in the talk of shuttering “Democrat” agencies, as if federal programs serve only members of one party.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Throughout the city, once lively streets have been left frozen, with many businesses forced to shut down temporarily — with some fearing they may have to shutter for good.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Onlookers, mostly locals, were greeted with padlocks and closed shutters.

Read more on BBC

In 2022, he started Arbor, with the idea of taking a different approach to bioenergy than the biomass plants shuttering across California.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The restaurant has a lively energy, with giant shutters that create an indoor-outdoor vibe and a patio perfect for warm evenings.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• curtain