shutter
Americannoun
-
shutters
plural
-
a solid or louvered movable cover for a window.
-
a movable cover, slide, etc., for an opening.
-
a person or thing that shuts.
-
Photography. a mechanical device for opening and closing the aperture of a camera lens to expose film or the like.
verb (used with object)
-
shutters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shuttered,
past participle, past
-
shuttering
present participle
-
to close or provide with shutters.
She shuttered the windows.
-
to close (a store or business operations) for the day or permanently.
verb (used without object)
-
shutters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shuttered,
past participle, past
-
shuttering
present participle
noun
-
a hinged doorlike cover, often louvred and usually one of a pair, for closing off a window
-
to close business at the end of the day or permanently
-
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 )
-
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
-
music one of the louvred covers over the mouths of organ pipes, operated by the swell pedal
-
a person or thing that shuts
verb
-
to close with or as if with a shutter or shutters
-
to equip with a shutter or shutters
Synonym Usage
See curtain.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
shuttersimple
-
shutterssimple
-
have shutteredperfect
-
has shutteredperfect
-
am shutteringprogressive
-
are shutteringprogressive
-
is shutteringprogressive
-
have been shutteringperfect progressive
-
has been shutteringperfect progressive
Past
-
shutteredsimple
-
had shutteredperfect
-
was shutteringprogressive
-
were shutteringprogressive
-
had been shutteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of shutter
Explanation
A shutter is a solid window covering that you close to block out light and open to let the sun shine in. Long ago, most houses had outdoor shutters that acted as an old-fashioned security system, as well as protection from sunlight and stormy weather. Many modern homes have decorative shutters that don't actually open and close. There's another kind of shutter inside your camera, which also opens and closes to let light through to capture a photographic image. Shutter dates from the 1720s, when it was short for window-shutters.
Vocabulary lists containing shutter
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The viral moment was previously immortalised by graffiti artist Tee2Sugars on the shutter she was caught on.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
As a photographer’s shutter clicks, Folger flutters a mascara wand over her lashes while preparing for opening night at the Elysian.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
"We are very focused on advancing the closure of Rikers Island on the fastest timeline possible," said Dana Kaplan, who is overseeing the mayor's efforts to shutter the jail.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
This would be a first for me: I had opened more than 15 restaurants across New York City and had yet to shutter a single one.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Her right eye had peered through the viewfinder while her index finger had hovered next to the shutter release button.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
Vacant units and graffiti-daubed shutters dominate, and it has just one store left.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
The two of them live on-site in what looks like a family home straight out of a 1990s Disney film, a white colonial home with blue shutters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
External shading, such as shutters, awnings or shades, can be even more effective because it stops some sunlight before it reaches the glass.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
The streets were deserted, metal shutters drawn and houses closed up, as wildfires drove residents and tourists away during the peak summer season.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Then she said, “One of the shutters is open.”
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
A small site in Belgium will also be shuttered.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
Energy companies are also increasingly seeking to diversify supplies to ensure they can continue to meet commitments to customers, regardless of conflicts or shuttered supply routes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
The signs of decades of economic decline are still visible in Springfield, through shuttered factories and boarded up homes.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Smoke has severely worsened air quality in Manaus, a city of 2.3 million people, and authorities shuttered public schools on Friday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Little remains of them but shuttered buildings colonized by bats and rodents and pigeons and spiders, while in the case of Whizbang there is nothing save stone ruins submerged in a sea of grass.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
LuxExperience got to work reducing the warehouse footprint, for instance shuttering facilities in Hong Kong, Dubai and Japan, while also integrating software systems where possible or reducing the existing complexity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
The attacks are forcing schoolchildren out of classes into shelters, shuttering businesses, and disrupting public transport.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
What could possibly be gained by shuttering a national citadel for creative excellence?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
The ride has been closed since shortly after the second incident, but on Tuesday park managers said they were shuttering it for good.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
He tried to do everything as quickly as possible, the shuttering of windows, and locking of doors.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
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