shelter

[ shel-ter ]

See synonyms for: shelter sheltered sheltering 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 abandoned animals, people who are homeless, etc.: 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.

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”; see origin at shield, trim

synonym study For shelter

1. See cover.

Other words for shelter

1	retreat, asylum, sanctuary, shield, haven, harbor
7	harbor, house
9	guard, safeguard, shield, defend

See synonyms for shelter on Thesaurus.com

Other words from shelter

shel·ter·er, noun
shel·ter·ing·ly, adverb
shel·ter·less, adjective
shel·ter·less·ness, noun
self-shel·ter, noun
un·shel·ter·ing, adjective

Words Nearby shelter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use shelter in a sentence

Milan Nicole Sherry, co-director of House of Tulip, told the Washington Blade on July 27 during an interview at her Uptown New Orleans home that she expects the shelter will open in the city next spring or summer.
New Orleans shelter to be ‘forever home’ for homeless trans people | Michael K. Lavers | August 27, 2020 | Washington Blade
Normally, most of the thousands of evacuees would be directed to traditional emergency shelters in convention centers and school gyms.
Covid-19 is pushing Hurricane Laura evacuees to hotels instead of shelters | Tim McDonnell | August 27, 2020 | Quartz
It’s especially important to look out for these behaviors if you’ve just adopted a shelter animal.
How to help your pet with separation anxiety | Sara Kiley Watson | August 26, 2020 | Popular-Science
This speaks directly to notions from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, where work largely addresses psychological and safety needs such as shelter, food, and financial well-being.
The Global Work Crisis: Automation, the Case Against Jobs, and What to Do About It | Peter Xing | August 6, 2020 | Singularity Hub
This bureaucratic hurdle exists on top of the many challenges migrants are facing in the midst of the pandemic, including a shortage of shelter beds and a lack of food and jobs.
Morning Report: With Building Folly, City Real Estate Director Out | Voice of San Diego | August 4, 2020 | Voice of San Diego

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 | THE 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 | THE DAILY BEAST
Small rooms off its graffiti-covered foyer provide shelter from the thick rain that can unexpectedly, and vengefully, hit.
The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway | Nina Strochlic | December 18, 2014 | THE 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 | THE 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 | THE DAILY BEAST
In their shelter, Brion and Ulv crouched low and wondered why the attack didn't come.
Sense of Obligation | Henry Maxwell Dempsey (AKA Harry Harrison)
But one day when we marched beneath the blazing sun, we met a storm and found no shelter.
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson Lloyd
I feel proud and happy to shelter beneath my roof any of our valued and brave allies.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846 | Various
This man by hard, manual labor makes only enough to pay for humble shelter and plain food.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen Leacock
He lived for some time as a bandit, robbing the subjects of the King of Gath, who had given him shelter.
God and my Neighbour | Robert Blatchford

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

Origin of shelter

C16: of uncertain origin

Derived forms of shelter

shelterer, noun
shelterless, adjective

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

Browse