Shelf
noun, plural shelves
[shelvz] /ʃɛlvz/ (Show IPA)
1.
a thin slab of wood, metal, etc., fixed horizontally to a wall or in a frame, for supporting objects.
2.
the contents of this:
a shelf of books.
3.
a surface or projection resembling this; ledge.
4.
Physical Geography.
a sandbank or submerged extent of rock in the sea or river.
the bedrock underlying an alluvial deposit or the like.
continental shelf.
5.
Archery. the upper part of the bow hand, on which the arrow rests.
Idioms
6.
off the shelf, readily available from merchandise in stock:
Any of those parts can be purchased off the shelf.
7.
on the shelf, Informal.
put aside temporarily; postponed.
inactive; useless.
without prospects of marriage, as after having broken an engagement.
noun (pl) shelves (ʃɛlvz)
1.
a thin flat plank of wood, metal, etc, fixed horizontally against a wall, etc, for the purpose of supporting objects
2.
something resembling this in shape or function
3.
the objects placed on a shelf, regarded collectively: a shelf of books
4.
a projecting layer of ice, rock, etc, on land or in the sea See also continental shelf
5.
(mining) a layer of bedrock hit when sinking a shaft
6.
(archery) the part of the hand on which an arrow rests when the bow is grasped
7.
See off the shelf
8.
on the shelf, put aside or abandoned: used esp of unmarried women considered to be past the age of marriage
verb
9.
(transitive) (Austral, slang) to inform upon
shelf
(shělf)
See continental shelf.
shay
A public library of classes for the Eiffel language.
Read Also:
- Shelf-angle
noun 1. an angle iron attached to or suspended from a girder to carry masonry or the ends of a number of joists.
- Shelfful
noun, plural shelffuls. 1. an amount adequate to fill a shelf: They buy canned goods by the shelfful. 2. the amount contained on a shelf: We gave away a shelfful of books.
- Shelf fungus
shelf fungus Any of various basidiomycete fungi that form shelflike carpophores (spore-bearing structures) on tree trunks or decaying wood. Also called bracket fungus.
- Shelf-ice
noun 1. ice forming part of or broken from an ice shelf. noun 1. a less common term for ice shelf shelf ice An extension of glacial ice into coastal waters that is in contact with the bottom near the shore but not toward the outer edge of the shelf.
- Shelf-life
noun 1. the term or period during which a stored commodity remains effective, useful, or suitable for consumption: Many medicines have a very short shelf life. noun 1. the length of time a packaged food, chemical, etc, will last without deteriorating