Definitions for Shields
shields

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1. shieldsverb

   Protects.

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1. shields

   A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of active blocks, as well as to provide passive protection by closing one or more lines of engagement during combat. Shields vary greatly in size and shape, ranging from large panels that protect the user's whole body to small models (such as the buckler) that were intended for hand-to-hand-combat use. Shields also vary a great deal in thickness; whereas some shields were made of relatively deep, absorbent, wooden planking to protect soldiers from the impact of spears and crossbow bolts, others were thinner and lighter and designed mainly for deflecting blade strikes (like the roromaraugi or qauata). Finally, shields vary greatly in shape, ranging in roundness to angularity, proportional length and width, symmetry and edge pattern; different shapes provide more optimal protection for infantry or cavalry, enhance portability, provide secondary uses such as ship protection or as a weapon and so on. In prehistory and during the era of the earliest civilisations, shields were made of wood, animal hide, woven reeds or wicker. In classical antiquity, the Barbarian Invasions and the Middle Ages, they were normally constructed of poplar tree, lime or another split-resistant timber, covered in some instances with a material such as leather or rawhide and often reinforced with a metal boss, rim or banding. They were carried by foot soldiers, knights and cavalry. Depending on time and place, shields could be round, oval, square, rectangular, triangular, bilabial or scalloped. Sometimes they took on the form of kites or flatirons, or had rounded tops on a rectangular base with perhaps an eye-hole, to look through when used with combat. The shield was held by a central grip or by straps with some going over or around the user's arm and one or more being held by the hand. Often shields were decorated with a painted pattern or an animal representation to show their army or clan. These designs developed into systematized heraldic devices during the High Middle Ages for purposes of battlefield identification. Even after the introduction of gunpowder and firearms to the battlefield, shields continued to be used by certain groups. In the 18th century, for example, Scottish Highland fighters liked to wield small shields known as targes, and as late as the 19th century, some non-industrialized peoples (such as Zulu warriors) employed them when waging war. In the 20th and 21st century, shields have been used by military and police units that specialize in anti-terrorist actions, hostage rescue, riot control and siege-breaking.

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1. Shields

   In the Star Trek fictional universe, shields refer to a 23rd and 24th century technology that provides starships, space stations, and planets with limited protection against damage. They are sometimes referred to as deflectors, deflector shields, and screens.

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1. shields

   Song lyrics by shields -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by shields on the Lyrics.com website.

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. SHIELDS

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Shields is ranked #672 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Shields surname appeared 50,832 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 would have the surname Shields.
   
   75.8% or 38,546 total occurrences were White.
   18.5% or 9,404 total occurrences were Black.
   2.1% or 1,108 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
   1.9% or 966 total occurrences were of two or more races.
   0.9% or 483 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
   0.6% or 325 total occurrences were Asian.

How to pronounce Shields?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say Shields in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Shields in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Shields in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of Shields in a Sentence

1. Diana Black:

   Big egos are big shields for lots of empty space.

2. Sunni Islamists:

   They use civilians as shields. They use children in armed conflict, they also directly target civilian infrastructure and that can amount to war crimes but they can also constitute crimes against humanity.

3. Hamdullah Danishi:

   Taliban are still in civilian houses and buildings, they are using civilians as human shields.

4. Jill Lavelle:

   Seeing the SWAT members squatting down (with) their shields and their riot gear, with their automatic rifles out ... I never have experienced anything like that before.

5. Daniel Baker:

   It's almost like these electrons are running into a glass wall in space, somewhat like the shields created by force fields on 'Star Trek' that were used to repel alien weapons, we are seeing an invisible shield blocking these electrons. It's an extremely puzzling phenomenon.

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