shelter
- something beneath, behind, or within which a person, animal, or thing is protected from storms, missiles, adverse conditions, etc.; refuge.
- the protection or refuge afforded by such a thing: He took shelter in a nearby barn.
- protection from blame, incrimination, etc.
- a dwelling place or home considered as a refuge from the elements: Everyone's basic needs are food, clothing, and shelter.
- a building serving as a temporary refuge or residence for homeless persons, abandoned animals, etc.
- Finance. tax shelter.
- to be a shelter for; afford shelter to: The old barn sheltered him from the rain.
- to provide with a shelter; place under cover.
- to protect, as by shelter; take under one's protection: Parents should not try to shelter their children from normal childhood disappointments.
- Finance. to invest (money) in a tax shelter.
- to take shelter; find a refuge: He sheltered in a barn.
- Finance. to invest money in a tax shelterd.
Origin of shelter
Synonyms for shelter
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comSynonym study
Related Words for shelter
shed, sanctuary, dwelling, house, hut, shack, apartment, safety, lodging, home, asylum, haven, refuge, tent, condo, protect, hide, shield, harbor, surroundExamples from the Web for shelter
Contemporary Examples of shelter
The grim instability of shelter life is hardly a recipe for success under the best of circumstances.
Some of them are trying to find places where they might be able to shelter if it comes to this.
They sacrifice their shelter to contain the walkers—and Judith gets her first action scene!
The Walking Dead’s Midseason Finale Shocker: A Cherished Character Meets a Grisly EndMelissa Leon
December 1, 2014
After weeks or months in the line only a wound can offer him the comfort of safety, shelter, and a bed.
The officers—led by a woman named Dawn Lerner—provide food and shelter at the hospital for needy people they find on the road.
The Walking Dead’s ‘Slabtown’: The Real Source of Terror Isn’t Walkers, It’s RapeMelissa Leon
November 3, 2014
Historical Examples of shelter
For, if he could get shelter for three days, the hue and cry would subside.
Way of the LawlessMax Brand
If He does not mean us to keep her in the shelter of our home for the present, we do not know what He means.
Ester Ried Yet SpeakingIsabella Alden
It might be an evil start to come to his door so late and claim the shelter of his roof.
The White CompanyArthur Conan Doyle
Shelter, covering, bed—beyond these all is mere superfluity.
The Roof of FranceMatilda Betham-Edwards
Bullets were flying in all directions, and there was no question of shelter.
The Story of the Malakand Field ForceSir Winston S. Churchill
shelter
- something that provides cover or protection, as from weather or danger; place of refuge
- the protection afforded by such a cover; refuge
- the state of being sheltered
- (tr) to provide with or protect by a shelter
- (intr) to take cover, as from rain; find refuge
- (tr) to act as a shelter for; take under one's protection
Word Origin for shelter
Word Origin and History for shelter
1580s, "structure affording protection," possibly an alteration of Middle English sheltron, sheldtrume "roof or wall formed by locked shields," from Old English scyldtruma, from scield "shield" (see shield (n.)) + truma "troop," related to Old English trum "firm, strong" (see trim).
If so, the original notion is of a compact body of men protected by interlocking shields. OED finds this "untenable" and proposed derivation from shield + -ture. Figurative sense is recorded from 1580s; meaning "temporary lodging for homeless poor" is first recorded 1890 in Salvation Army jargon; sense of "temporary home for animals" is from 1971. Related: Shelterless.