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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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Shelf
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
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 shelf
Collins
World English Dictionary
| shelf (ʃɛlf) | |
| —n , pl shelves | |
| 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. | See also continental shelf a projecting layer of ice, rock, etc, on land or in the sea |
| 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 |
| —vb | |
| 9. | slang (Austral) (tr) to inform upon |
| [Old English scylfe ship's deck; related to Middle Low German schelf shelf, Old English scylf crag] | |
| 'shelflike | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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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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American Heritage
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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Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com
Idioms & Phrases
Image for shelf
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