shelf

American  

[shelf] / ʃɛlf /

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.

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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

• shelflike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of shelf

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

Example Sentences

On the shelf, also waiting for the royal arrival, there were gnomes of Sir David, Alan and King Charles.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

They’re giving it a bit to Jannik Sinner, who just wins, wins, wins, now that frenemy Carlos Alcaraz is injured and on the shelf.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

A former podcaster, Patel understands the modern media environment well enough to know that outrage has a short shelf life.

From Salon • May 16, 2026

Seth, should investors in more-traditional types of energy become more flexible about alternative-energy investments, understanding that there is a shelf life in oil and gas?

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Tansy strode to the library shelf and pulled out the blue-backed Webster speller.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• counter
• cupboard
• ledge
• rack