shelf

[shelf]

noun

plural

shelves 

1. a thin slab of wood, metal, etc., fixed horizontally to a wall or in a frame, for supporting objects.

2. the contents of this.

   a shelf of books.

3. a surface or projection resembling this; ledge.

4. Physical Geography.

   1. a sandbank or submerged extent of rock in the sea or river.

   2. the bedrock underlying an alluvial deposit or the like.

   3. continental shelf.

5. Archery.,  the upper part of the bow hand, on which the arrow rests.

shelf

/ ʃɛlf /

noun

1. a thin flat plank of wood, metal, etc, fixed horizontally against a wall, etc, for the purpose of supporting objects

2. something resembling this in shape or function

3. the objects placed on a shelf, regarded collectively

   a shelf of books

4. a projecting layer of ice, rock, etc, on land or in the sea See also continental shelf

5. mining a layer of bedrock hit when sinking a shaft

6. archery the part of the hand on which an arrow rests when the bow is grasped

7. See off the shelf

8. put aside or abandoned: used esp of unmarried women considered to be past the age of marriage

verb

1. slang,  (tr) to inform upon

shelf

1. See continental shelf

Other Word Forms

• shelflike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of shelf¹

1350–1400; Middle English; Old English scylfe; akin to Low German schelf shelf, Old Norse -skjalf bench

Word History and Origins

Origin of shelf¹

Old English scylfe ship's deck; related to Middle Low German schelf shelf, Old English scylf crag

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. off the shelf, readily available from merchandise in stock.

   Any of those parts can be purchased off the shelf.

2. on the shelf,

   1. put aside temporarily; postponed.

   2. inactive; useless.

   3. without prospects of marriage, as after having broken an engagement.

see off the shelf; on the shelf.

Example Sentences

Criminal hacks on Marks and Spencer, The Co-op and Jaguar Land Rover have led to empty shelves and production lines being halted this year as the companies struggled without their computer systems.

Read more on BBC

This issue is affecting the quality of life for consumers who are tired of witnessing theft or dealing with measures to stop it, such as locked-up shelves.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Nearby shopkeepers cleaned up broken glass and put merchandise back on shelves, AFP journalists saw.

Read more on Barron's

Only four bottles of Asahi Super Dry beer are left on the shelves of Ben Thai, a cosy restaurant in the Tokyo suburb of Sengawacho.

Read more on BBC

In response, Canadians pulled California wines off store shelves, along with other American-made alcohol.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• counter 
• cupboard 
• ledge 
• rack