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noun, plural shelves 
[shelvz] .
Idioms [shelvz] . 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.
a sandbank or submerged extent of rock in the sea or river.
b.
the bedrock underlying an alluvial deposit or the like.
5.
Archery. the upper part of the bow hand, on which the arrow rests.
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.
a.
put aside temporarily; postponed.
b.
inactive; useless.
c.
without prospects of marriage, as after having broken an engagement.
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On the shelf
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English; Old English scylfe; akin to Low German schelf shelf, Old Norse -skjalf bench
1350–1400; Middle English; Old English scylfe; akin to Low German schelf shelf, Old Norse -skjalf bench
Related forms
shelf·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To on the shelf
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
shelf
late 14c., from M.L.G. schelf "shelf, set of shelves," or from O.E. cognate scylfe "shelf, ledge, floor," and scylf "peak, pinnacle," from P.Gmc. *skelf-, *skalf- "split," possibly from the notion of a split piece of wood (cf. O.N. skjölf "bench"), from PIE base *(s)kel- "to cut, cleave" (cf. L.
EXPANDsculpere "to carve"). Shelf life first recorded 1927. Phrase on the shelf "out of the way, inactive" is attested from 1575. Continental shelf first attested 1892.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| shelf (shělf) Pronunciation Key
See continental shelf. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
on the shelf definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
on the shelf
-
Inactive, not employed, as in With mandatory retirement at 65, many useful employees are put on the shelf. [Second half of 1500s]
-
In a state of disuse, as in We'll have to put her proposal on the shelf until we have more funds. [Late 1800s]
-
Without prospects of marriage. For example, After she broke her third engagement, her parents were sure she'd be on the shelf. This usage is always said of a woman and today considered offensive. It is probably obsolescent. [Early 1800s] All these usages allude to an article left on the shelf of a store, bookcase, or the like.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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