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

Explanation

A shutter is a solid window covering that you close to block out light and open to let the sun shine in. Long ago, most houses had outdoor shutters that acted as an old-fashioned security system, as well as protection from sunlight and stormy weather. Many modern homes have decorative shutters that don't actually open and close. There's another kind of shutter inside your camera, which also opens and closes to let light through to capture a photographic image. Shutter dates from the 1720s, when it was short for window-shutters.

Example Sentences

Equity markets in Europe and the U.S. will shutter for Good Friday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

The camera still emits a loud flash and shutter sound when taking photos, and there’s a light that turns on when it records video.

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2026

Peet’s Coffee plans to shutter some stores, including at least two in Southern California, by the end of January.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

Banks could choose to shutter customers’ accounts if they pose legal risks.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

The aperture was so screened and narrow, that curtain or shutter had been deemed unnecessary; and when I stooped down and put aside the spray of foliage shooting over it, I could see all within.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Related Words

• curtain