shelter
Americannoun
-
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 abandoned animals, people who are homeless, etc.: animal shelter.
homeless shelter;
animal shelter.
-
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.
Students sheltered in the gymnasium when they heard the tornado sirens.
-
Finance. to invest money in a tax shelter.
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
Related Words
See cover.
Other Word Forms
- self-shelter noun
- shelterer noun
- shelteringly adverb
- shelterless adjective
- shelterlessness noun
- unsheltering adjective
Etymology
Origin of shelter
First recorded in 1575–85; of uncertain origin; perhaps alteration of obsolete sheltron “testudo” (a protective vault formed of Roman legionaries' shields), Old English scieldtruma, equivalent to scield + truma “body of men in battle formation”; shield ( def. ), trim
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Department of State Consular Affairs urged American travelers in the country to shelter in place “until further notice,” in a statement on X.
From Salon
Another video, filmed on Sunday, shows students sheltering inside the University of Tehran's school of engineering.
From BBC
In many towns, streets were deserted on Sunday as local authorities told residents to seek shelter in their homes.
From BBC
The Mexican Open starts on Monday in Acapulco, which is in Guerrero - one of five Mexican states where the US government has warned its citizens to shelter because of the violence.
From BBC
Blocks of flats in Yelets have designated shelters, too, in basements.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
