shutter

American  

[shuht-er] / ˈʃʌt ər /

noun

1. a solid or louvered movable cover for a window.

2. a movable cover, slide, etc., for an opening.

3. a person or thing that shuts.

4. Photography. a mechanical device for opening and closing the aperture of a camera lens to expose film or the like.

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verb (used with object)

1. to close or provide with shutters.

   She shuttered the windows.

2. to close (a store or business operations) for the day or permanently.

verb (used without object)

1. to close or close down.

   The factory has shuttered temporarily.

shutter British  

/ ˈʃʌtə /

noun

1. a hinged doorlike cover, often louvred and usually one of a pair, for closing off a window

2. to close business at the end of the day or permanently

3. photog an opaque shield in a camera that, when tripped, admits light to expose the film or plate for a predetermined period, usually a fraction of a second. It is either built into the lens system or lies in the focal plane of the lens ( focal-plane shutter )

4. photog a rotating device in a film projector that permits an image to be projected onto the screen only when the film is momentarily stationary

5. music one of the louvred covers over the mouths of organ pipes, operated by the swell pedal

6. a person or thing that shuts

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verb

1. to close with or as if with a shutter or shutters

2. to equip with a shutter or shutters

Related Words

See curtain.

Other Word Forms

• shutterless adjective
• unshuttered adjective

Etymology

Origin of shutter

First recorded in 1535–45; shut + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Most small businesses were shuttered and schools were closed as workers stayed at home, lying low with their families.

From BBC

Though much lies ahead to reach full stability, financial support has made a big impact on child-care programs in the region, allowing them to avoid shuttering as they slowly reestablish themselves.

From Los Angeles Times

But there was still no public transportation, which meant some employees could not get to work, so businesses remained shuttered.

From Los Angeles Times

Much of the East Coast was shut down early Monday as a fierce winter storm closed roads, shuttered schools and grounded thousands of flights.

From The Wall Street Journal

ICE has also reopened facilities that were previously shuttered over chronic staffing shortages and medical concerns.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• curtain