A shelf is a flat piece of wood, metal, or glass which is attached to a wall or to the sides of a cupboard. Shelves are used for keeping things on.
He took a book from the shelf.
...the middle shelf of the oven.
Synonyms: shelving, rack, bookshelf, mantelpiece More Synonyms of shelf
2. countable noun
A shelf is a section of rock on a cliff or mountain or underwater that sticks out like a shelf.
The house stands on a shelf of rock among pines. [+ of]
3. See also continental shelf
4.
See off the shelf
5.
See on the shelf
shelf in British English
(ʃɛlf)
nounWord forms: pluralshelves (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. off the shelf
8. on the shelf
verb
9. (transitive) Australian slang
to inform upon
Derived forms
shelflike (ˈshelfˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
Old English scylfe ship's deck; related to Middle Low German schelf shelf, Old English scylf crag
shelf in American English
(ʃɛlf)
nounWord forms: pluralshelves
1.
a thin, flat length of wood or other material fixed horizontally at right angles to a wall and used for holding things
2.
a similar support, usually one of a set, built into a frame, as in a bookcase or cupboard
3.
the contents or capacity of a shelf
4.
something like a shelf
; specif.,
a.
a flat ledge jutting out from a cliff
b.
a sandbar or sandy reef
5.
a layer of bedrock, as under deposits of soil or gravel
Idioms:
on the shelf
Derived forms
shelflike (ˈshelfˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
ME, prob. < MLowG schelf, akin to OE scylf, shelf, ledge < IE *skelp < base *(s)kel-, to cut > half
More idioms containing
shelf
on the shelf
shelf life
Examples of 'shelf' in a sentence
shelf
Wedding memorabilia is also flying off the shelves.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
This is why his story has had such a long shelf life.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The kitchen cupboards and shelves are full of ceramic bowls and copper pans.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
One wall of shelves is piled high with cookery books.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Those that routinely forage on the continental shelf rarely strand.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Place the crackling on the bottom shelf and the meat on the middle shelf.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
So you go for the next book along the shelf.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The retailer is promising to get the family favourite from oven to shelf in just five hours.
The Sun (2011)
This deserves to fly off the shelves and out of the shopping websites.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The shelf life of some of these hormones is up to five years.
Lashford, Stephanie The Residue Report - an action plan for safer food (1988)
One moment my shelves are just full.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Place an oven tray on the middle shelf to heat up.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Smear with oil and place on a low shelf in the oven.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
These filled three rooms in his house with floor to ceiling shelves on all walls of each room.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The company's first tablet was just hitting the shelves.
Christianity Today (2000)
Many of the metal shelves were entirely bare; others contained a single row of one commodity.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
BRITAIN'S strongest coffee hits the shelves this week - twice as potent as the usual brands.
The Sun (2010)
We cost more and don't own the shelf space.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The corporation tax base appears to be shrinking faster than the Greenland ice shelf.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This force is doing more than securing Russian economic interests and its claims on the continental shelf.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Inside are eight glass shelves.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Books on leaning metal shelves.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Word lists with
shelf
cupboard
In other languages
shelf
British English: shelf /ʃɛlf/ NOUN
A shelf is a flat piece of wood, metal, or glass which is attached to a wall or to the sides of a cupboard.
He took a book from the shelf.
American English: shelf
Arabic: رَفّ
Brazilian Portuguese: prateleira
Chinese: 架子
Croatian: polica
Czech: polička
Danish: hylde
Dutch: plank
European Spanish: estante balda
Finnish: hylly
French: étagère
German: Regal
Greek: ράφι
Italian: scaffale
Japanese: 棚
Korean: 선반
Norwegian: hylle
Polish: półka
European Portuguese: prateleira
Romanian: raft
Russian: полка
Latin American Spanish: estante
Swedish: hylla
Thai: ชั้นวาง
Turkish: raf
Ukrainian: полиця
Vietnamese: giá sách
All related terms of 'shelf'
ice shelf
a thick mass of ice that is permanently attached to the land but projects into and floats on the sea
on-shelf
On-shelf goods are available now and displayed for sale .
shelf ice
→ ice shelf
top-shelf
(of magazines ) displayed above the eyeline of children, because they contain photos of naked or scantily-clad people
shelf life
The shelf life of a product , especially food, is the length of time that it can be kept in a shop or at home before it becomes too old to sell or use.
shelf mark
a mark, usually incorporating numbers , which indicates a book's location in a library
mantel shelf
a wooden or stone frame around the opening of a fireplace , together with its decorative facing
parcel shelf
a shelf (which is usually removable) inside a car, located behind the back seats , and used to store small items
shelf fungus
→ bracket fungus
shelf-stacker
a person whose job is to fill the shelves and displays in a supermarket or other shop with goods for sale
on the shelf
If you say that someone or something is on the shelf , you mean that no one wants them.
continental shelf
The continental shelf is the area which forms the edge of a continent, ending in a steep slope to the depths of the ocean.
off the shelf
If you buy something off the shelf , you buy something that is not specially made for you.
Ross Ice Shelf
the ice shelf forming the S part of the Ross Sea, between Victoria Land and Byrd Land
Ross Shelf Ice
the ice shelf forming the S part of the Ross Sea, between Victoria Land and Byrd Land
Chinese translation of 'shelf'
shelf
(ʃɛlf)
Word forms:plshelves
n(c)
(= bookshelf) 架子 (jiàzi) (个(個), gè)
(in cupboard) 搁(擱)板 (gēbǎn) (块(塊), kuài)
(in oven) 层(層) (céng)
a set of shelves一整套架子 (yī zhěng tào jiàzi)
to be left on the shelf (inf)[person]嫁不出去的 (jià bù chūqù de)
(noun)
Definition
a board fixed horizontally against a wall or in a cupboard, for holding things
He took a book from the shelf.
Synonyms
shelving
rack
a luggage rack
bookshelf
mantelpiece
idiom
See on the shelf
Additional synonyms
in the sense of rack
Definition
a framework for holding particular articles, such as coats or luggage