a broad piece of armor, varying widely in form and size, carried apart from the body, usually on the left arm, as a defense against swords, lances, arrows, etc.
a similar device, often of lightweight plastic, used by riot police to protect themselves from rocks and other thrown objects.
something shaped like a shield, variously round, octagonal, triangular, or somewhat heart-shaped.
a person or thing that protects.
a police officer's, detective's, or sheriff's badge.
Ordnance. a steel screen attached to a gun to protect its crew, mechanism, etc.
Mining. a movable framework for protecting a miner from cave-ins, etc.
Electricity. a covering, usually made of metal, placed around an electric device or circuit in order to reduce the effects of external electric and magnetic fields.
Zoology. a protective plate or the like on the body of an animal, as a scute, enlarged scale, etc.
dress shield.
Heraldry. an escutcheon, especially one broad at the top and pointed at the bottom, for displaying armorial bearings.
(initial capital letter)Astronomy. the constellation Scutum.
Also called continental shield .Geology. a vast area of ancient crustal rocks which, together with a platform, constitutes a craton.
a protective barrier against nuclear radiation, especially a lead or concrete structure around a reactor.
verb (used with object)
to protect (someone or something) with or as if with a shield.
to serve as a protection for.
to hide or conceal; protect by hiding.
Obsolete. to avert; forbid.
verb (used without object)
to act or serve as a shield.
Origin of shield
before 900; (noun) Middle English shelde,Old English sceld; cognate with Dutch, German Schild,Gothic skildus; (v.) Middle English shelden,Old English sceldan, scildan, derivative of the noun
Because ozone is both a chemical by-product of oxygen produced in photosynthesis and a shield that protects life from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, astronomers think atmospheric ozone could be a key indicator that a distant world is habitable.
Hubble watched a lunar eclipse to see Earth from an alien’s perspective|Maria Temming|August 17, 2020|Science News
Louis’s sudden education began just as governments across the world started treating the looming shortage of masks and face shields as a matter of national security.
Unmade in America|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 14, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Hundreds of thousands of masks, gloves, face shields and hand sanitizer bottles will be on hand to protect them.
Five Ways the November Election Could Be Odder Than Ever|Randy Dotinga|July 13, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Little things such as adding complimentary masks, face shields, gloves, and hand sanitizers to Independence Day deals will show consumers that you care about them.
Ecommerce marketing this Independence Day will be tricky: Four must dos|Evelyn Johnson|June 23, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Her current company, Therma-Tron-X, had already started to make face shields for a local hospital.
Tackling the novel coronavirus calls for novel ideas|Kathiann Kowalski|May 7, 2020|Science News For Students
He remains busy trying to penetrate the shield with something much smarter.
A Gift to the Jihadis: The Unseen Airport Security Threat|Clive Irving|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Liu was also well aware of the risks that came with the shield.
In The Shadow of Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He tended to shield himself from disappointment by expecting the worst—of people and of his country.
How Richard Pryor Beat Bill Cosby and Transformed America|David Yaffe, Scott Saul|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
UPDATE: "My firm has done nothing to shield anyone or any entity from any sanctions," Goldin told The Daily Beast in an email.
Exclusive: Did This Manhattan Firm Help Shield a Russian Fund From Sanctions?|Bill Conroy|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the winter, they can shield drivers from the annoyance of having to wipe snow and ice off their windshields.
A wall or housing of an absorbing material, such as concrete or lead, built around a nuclear reactor to prevent the escape of radiation.
A structure or arrangement of metal plates or mesh designed to protect a piece of electronic equipment from electrostatic or magnetic interference.
A large geographic area where rocks of a continent's craton (the ancient, relatively undisturbed portion of a continental plate) are visible at the surface. A shield is often surrounded by platforms covered with sediment.