shelf

The definition of a shelf is a flat, horizontal piece of wood for holding items.

(noun)

An example of a shelf is where books are kept in the library.

See shelf in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun pl. shelves

a thin, flat length of wood or other material fixed horizontally at right angles to a wall and used for holding things
a similar support, usually one of a set, built into a frame, as in a bookcase or cupboard
the contents or capacity of a shelf
something like a shelf; specif.,
1. a flat ledge jutting out from a cliff
2. a sandbar or sandy reef
a layer of bedrock, as under deposits of soil or gravel

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

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See shelf in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. shelves shelves (shĕlvz)

a. A flat, usually rectangular structure composed of a rigid material, such as wood, glass, or metal, fixed at right angles to a wall or other vertical surface and used to hold or store objects.
b. The contents or capacity of such a structure.
c. Something, such as a projecting ledge of rock or a balcony, that resembles such a structure.
A reef, sandbar, or shoal.
Bedrock.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , probably from Middle Low German schelf; see skel-¹ in Indo-European roots

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