shelf

American  

[shelf] / ʃɛlf /

noun

• shelves
  plural

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.

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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.

shelf British  

/ 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

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verb

1. slang (tr) to inform upon

shelf Scientific  

/ shĕlf /

1. See continental shelf

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shelf More Idioms  

1. see off the shelf; on the shelf.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• shelflike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• shelves
  plural

Etymology

Origin of shelf

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shelf shelves

They are typically made with refined fats, oils, sugars, starches, salts, and other additives designed to improve flavor, texture, and shelf life, often while lowering nutritional quality.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

Freshwater from melting glaciers in East Greenland's spectacular fjords and its coastal shelf contribute to two major Arctic currents.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

Another was 2015 space adventure “The Martian,” which Scott says had been sitting on a shelf for two years before it was sent to him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

"Let it sit on the shelf," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

I had just started work on the head of a cat over the right pocket when the food shelf in the door banged opened and shut with a single motion.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

At the university, shelves groan with jagged pieces of spines, necks and legs that to an untrained eye resemble battered stones.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

It was a bestseller when it first hit bookshop shelves nearly 10 years ago — and after Nolan mentioned Wilson’s work in an early interview promoting his big-screen adaption, its sales spiked.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

Apple is releasing new models of its AI-friendly desktop machines—the Mac Mini and Studio—after the previous generations became sleeper hits, and vanished from shelves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

Carney asked the provinces to restore US alcohol to the shelves during trade talks, but now that they have collapsed, it's likely the ban will return.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

It had a roll-down bamboo window shade and a fine closet full of shelves and a pull-out trundle in case someday a friend came to spend the night.

From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold

Related Words

• counter
• cupboard
• ledge
• rack