Definitions for shelf
ʃɛlfshelf

Princeton's WordNet(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. shelf(noun)

   a support that consists of a horizontal surface for holding objects

2. ledge, shelf(noun)

   a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. shelf(Noun)

   A flat, rigid, rectangular structure, fixed at right angles to a wall, and used to support, store or display objects.

   Etymology: Probably from scylfe; distantly related to sculpt, carve and shell.

2. shelf(Noun)

   The capacity of such an object; as, a shelf of videos.

   Etymology: Probably from scylfe; distantly related to sculpt, carve and shell.

3. shelf(Noun)

   A projecting ledge that resembles such an object.

   Etymology: Probably from scylfe; distantly related to sculpt, carve and shell.

4. shelf(Noun)

   A reef, shoal or sandbar.

   Etymology: Probably from scylfe; distantly related to sculpt, carve and shell.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Shelf(verb)

   a flat tablet or ledge of any material set horizontally at a distance from the floor, to hold objects of use or ornament

   Etymology: [OE. shelfe, schelfe, AS. scylfe; akin to G. schelfe, Icel. skjlf. In senses 2 & 3, perhaps a different word (cf. Shelve, v. i.).]

2. Shelf(verb)

   a sand bank in the sea, or a rock, or ledge of rocks, rendering the water shallow, and dangerous to ships

   Etymology: [OE. shelfe, schelfe, AS. scylfe; akin to G. schelfe, Icel. skjlf. In senses 2 & 3, perhaps a different word (cf. Shelve, v. i.).]

3. Shelf(verb)

   a stratum lying in a very even manner; a flat, projecting layer of rock

   Etymology: [OE. shelfe, schelfe, AS. scylfe; akin to G. schelfe, Icel. skjlf. In senses 2 & 3, perhaps a different word (cf. Shelve, v. i.).]

4. Shelf(verb)

   a piece of timber running the whole length of a vessel inside the timberheads

   Etymology: [OE. shelfe, schelfe, AS. scylfe; akin to G. schelfe, Icel. skjlf. In senses 2 & 3, perhaps a different word (cf. Shelve, v. i.).]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Shelf

   Shelf is a village in West Yorkshire, England. The village is situated halfway between Bradford and Halifax. It has a population of 4,496. In the Domesday Book it is called Scelf. From 1937 to 1974, Shelf formed part of Queensbury and Shelf, an urban district in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Queensbury and Shelf consisted of Queensbury and Shelf. Queensbury and Shelf was split in 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, with the Shelf part going to the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, and the rest going to the Metropolitan Borough of Bradford. Shelf is a village impacted by the Industrial Revolution and retains mill buildings along with other artefacts. Much-travelled footballer Frank Worthington was born in the village, as were Linda Barker and veteran Blue Peter presenter John Noakes. Shelf village centre has many shops and facilities such as a bakery and pharmacy. There is a local supermarket managed by the Lidl group.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Shelf

   shelf, n. a board fixed on a wall, &c., for laying things on: a flat layer of rock: a ledge: a shoal: a sandbank:—pl. Shelves (shelvz).—adj. Shelf′y.—Put, Lay, on the Shelf, to put aside from duty or service. [A.S. scylfe, a plank, Ice. skjálf, a bench.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. shelf

   A dangerous beach bounded by a ledge of flat rocks a-wash. In icy regions, (see TONGUE).

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. shelf

   A type of structure and product created and designed in various colors, materials, shapes, sizes and styles.

   A shelf is practical in a room in the house and people buy for them for a wide variety of purposes

   Submitted by MaryC on July 21, 2016  

British National Corpus

1. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'shelf' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4436

2. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'shelf' in Nouns Frequency: #1518

Anagrams for shelf »

1. flesh

How to pronounce shelf?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say shelf in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of shelf in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of shelf in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of shelf in a Sentence

1. Martin Passingham:

   In the main hut there is stuff everywhere, a coal shovel beside the stove, jars and containers of food on the shelf, wooden spoons left on the kitchen bench, all of these things really do tell the story more thoroughly.

2. Taylor Collins:

   For us, the biggest obstacle was creating a shelf stable product that didn’t have a bunch of preservatives in it, it took us about a year and a half to crack the code.

3. Lida Wang:

   We are already doing all the preparation for a shelf filing, we have a very good relationship with banks.

4. Julie Bing:

   We recommend parents go to the store, and ask if they can take the model off the shelf and go out to their car and try it. It might look great on the shelf and have all the greatest safety ratings, but if it doesn’t fit in your vehicle, it may not be the best option for you.

5. Alex Conant:

   Every member has their own calculus and certainly some of them are taking a principled position, regardless of the politics, but for the vast majority of Republican members, the lesson of the last two years is don't comment on Trump's tweets because they have a short shelf life, but the damage you can do to yourself can be permanent.

Images & Illustrations of shelf

Popularity rank by frequency of use