shutter

American  

[shuht-er] / ˈʃʌt ər /

noun

• shutters
  plural

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)

• shutters,
  present (3rd person singular)
• shuttered,
  past participle,  past
• shuttering
  present participle

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)

• shutters,
  present (3rd person singular)
• shuttered,
  past participle,  past
• shuttering
  present participle

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

Synonym Usage

See curtain.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• shutterless
  adjective
• unshuttered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• shutters
  plural

Participles

• shuttering
  present
• shuttered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• shutter
  simple
• shutters
  simple
• have shuttered
  perfect
• has shuttered
  perfect
• am shuttering
  progressive
• are shuttering
  progressive
• is shuttering
  progressive
• have been shuttering
  perfect progressive
• has been shuttering
  perfect progressive

Past

• shuttered
  simple
• had shuttered
  perfect
• was shuttering
  progressive
• were shuttering
  progressive
• had been shuttering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will shutter
  simple
• will have shuttered
  perfect
• will be shuttering
  progressive
• will have been shuttering
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of shutter

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

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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

See Examples For:

shutter shutters shuttered shuttering

Launched by Elizabeth Koch and Andy Hunter more than a decade ago, the independent publisher will shutter operations in just over a week, per Publisher’s Weekly, which spoke with members of the publisher’s union.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

As a photographer’s shutter clicks, Folger flutters a mascara wand over her lashes while preparing for opening night at the Elysian.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

Michalski used a slow shutter speed to photograph birds flying across a background of leafless birch trees.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

"We are very focused on advancing the closure of Rikers Island on the fastest timeline possible," said Dana Kaplan, who is overseeing the mayor's efforts to shutter the jail.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

His hands caressed the camera around his neck; his thumb hovered by the shutter button.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

Below the window is the phrase “How long can you survive?” written on the blue shutters of the “house.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Reflective films, blinds, shutters, awnings and shaded roofs can all reduce heat gain.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

Being able to see the internal parts through its socket holes can be a sign it is unsafe - they should have safety shutters instead.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

The streets were deserted, metal shutters drawn and houses closed up, as wildfires drove residents and tourists away during the peak summer season.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

No one had to dream up shutters and window boxes and trim, or porches and turrets and wide curving staircases.

From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu

A small site in Belgium will also be shuttered.

From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026

The signs of decades of economic decline are still visible in Springfield, through shuttered factories and boarded up homes.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

But the Brockman’s legacy endured long after the space shuttered.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

Many of the theaters, cinemas and concert halls that once pumped life into the capital have shuttered or drastically reduced their offerings.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

I didn’t respond fast enough, his face had shuttered, and the moment was gone.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

LuxExperience got to work reducing the warehouse footprint, for instance shuttering facilities in Hong Kong, Dubai and Japan, while also integrating software systems where possible or reducing the existing complexity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Yardan described a potential shuttering, even if temporary, as a "huge dent" in DC culture that could change the heart of the space.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

The ride has been closed since shortly after the second incident, but on Tuesday park managers said they were shuttering it for good.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

The group said that a consequence of the ban could be refineries shuttering in the U.S.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

He tried to do everything as quickly as possible, the shuttering of windows, and locking of doors.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin

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Related Words

• curtain

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