shut-in
[ shuht-in ]
/ ˈʃʌtˌɪn /
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adjective
confined to one's home, a hospital, etc., as from illness.
Psychiatry. disposed to desire solitude; withdrawn; asocial.
(of an oil or gas well) temporarily sealed up.
noun
a person confined by infirmity or disease to the house, a hospital, etc.
Also called shut-in well . an oil or gas well that has been closed down.
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Origin of shut-in
1840–50, Americanism; adj., noun use of verb phrase shut in
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use shut-in in a sentence
They go as far as Gangra, where the tigers are, for they are 'shutin-tongas.'
From Sea to Sea|Rudyard Kipling"He went off shutin' an hour ago," explained Phineas Glover.
Overland|John William De Forest
British Dictionary definitions for shut-in
shut-in
noun
mainly US and Canadian
- a person confined indoors by illness
- (as modifier)a shut-in patient
psychiatry a condition in which the person is highly withdrawn and unable to express his own feelingsSee also schizoid
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
Medical definitions for shut-in
shut-in
[ shŭt′ĭn′ ]
n.
A person confined indoors by illness or disability.
adj.
Confined to a home or hospital, as by illness.
Disposed to avoid social contact; excessively withdrawn or introverted.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.