Etymology : Middle English, probably from Old English scylfe; akin to Old Norse hlIthskjalf Odin's seat
Pronunciation : 'shelf
Function : noun
Date : 14th century
1. flat board attached horizontally to a wall or frame and used for storing or displaying items; something which resembles a shelf, projection; rock ledge; sandbank, sand bar. shelf\shelf\ , n.; pl. shelves (#). [oe. shelfe, schelfe, as. scylfe; akin to g. schelfe, icel. skjālf. in senses 2 & 3, perhaps a different word (cf. shelve, v. i.).].
2. (arch.) a flat tablet or ledge of any material set horizontally at a distance from the floor, to hold objects of use or ornament.
3. a sand bank in the sea, or a rock, or ledge of rocks, rendering the water shallow, and dangerous to ships. on the tawny sands and shelves. on the secret shelves with fury cast.
4. (mining) a stratum lying in a very even manner; a flat, projecting layer of rock.
5. (naut.) a piece of timber running the whole length of a vessel inside the timberheads. kemp.
6. A flat tablet or ledge of any material set horizontally at a distance from the floor, to hold objects of use or ornament.
7. A sand bank in the sea, or a rock, or ledge of rocks, rendering the water shallow, and dangerous to ships.
8. A stratum lying in a very even manner; a flat, projecting layer of rock.
9. A piece of timber running the whole length of a vessel inside the timberheads. a support that consists of a horizontal surface for holding objects.
10. 1. 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.
11. 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. see also:
continental shelf.
12. If you buy something off the shelf, you buy something that is not specially made for you. off-the-shelf software. ¡Ù tailor-made. shelf fungus continental shelf Larsen Ice Shelf Ross Ice Shelf.