shelter

[ shel-ter ]

/ ˈʃɛl tər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR shelter ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

verb (used with object)

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.

verb (used without object)

to take shelter; find a refuge: He sheltered in a barn.

Finance. to invest money in a tax shelterd.

Nearby words

shellflower, shellproof, shellwork, shelly, shelta, shelter, shelter belt, shelter deck, shelter tent, sheltered, sheltered housing

Origin of shelter

1575–85; perhaps alteration of obsolete sheltron testudo, Old English scieldtruma, equivalent to scield shield + truma body of fighting men; see trim

SYNONYMS FOR shelter

1 retreat, asylum, sanctuary, shield, haven, harbor.

7 harbor, house.

9 guard, safeguard, shield, defend.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR shelter ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

shel·ter·er, nounshel·ter·ing·ly, adverbshel·ter·less, adjectiveshel·ter·less·ness, noun

self-shel·ter, nounun·shel·ter·ing, adjective

Synonym study

1. See cover.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for shelter

The grim instability of shelter life is hardly a recipe for success under the best of circumstances.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Some of them are trying to find places where they might be able to shelter if it comes to this.
Has the Kurdish Victory at Sinjar Turned the Tide of ISIS War?|Niqash|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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 End|Melissa Leon|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After weeks or months in the line only a wound can offer him the comfort of safety, shelter, and a bed.
Blood in the Sand: When James Jones Wrote a Grunt’s View of D-Day|James Jones|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

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 Rape|Melissa Leon|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hearing the report of our guns, the flock flew towards the wood for shelter.
Snow Shoes and Canoes|William H. G. Kingston
Once more it was shown how weak an arm is artillery against an enemy who lies in shelter.
The Great Boer War|Arthur Conan Doyle
They were just returning to the shelter of the doorway when two shots rang out, but neither was effective.
The Campaign of the Jungle|Edward Stratemeyer
Still keeping under the shelter of the cliff, I carefully surveyed the vessel.
The Swiss Family Robinson|Johann David Wyss
I hoped, moreover, that a full meal of cold rations would compensate to some extent for the lack of warm food and shelter.
South!|Sir Ernest Shackleton

British Dictionary definitions for shelter

shelter

/ (ˈʃɛltə) /

noun

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

verb

(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

Derived Formsshelterer, nounshelterless, adjective

Word Origin for shelter

C16: of uncertain origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for shelter (1 of 2)

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.

Word Origin and History for shelter (1 of 2)

shelter

1580s, "to screen, protect," from shelter (n.); in the income investment sense, from 1955. Meaning "to take shelter" is from c.1600. Related: Sheltered; sheltering.

shelter

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of shelter

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for shelter

British Dictionary definitions for shelter

shelter

noun

verb

Word Origin for shelter

Word Origin and History for shelter (1 of 2)

shelter

Word Origin and History for shelter (1 of 2)

shelter