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shelf definition

shelf (s̸helf)

noun pl. shelves

  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.,
    1. a flat ledge jutting out from a cliff
    2. a sandbar or sandy reef
  5. a layer of bedrock, as under deposits of soil or gravel

Etymology: ME, prob. < MLowG schelf, akin to OE scylf, shelf, ledge < IE *skelp < base *(s)kel-, to cut > half

Related Forms:

shelf Idioms

on the shelf

out of use, activity, or circulation

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