shelf
shelf Lexical Profile
shelf Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A flat, rigid piece of wood, metal, glass, or other material attached to a wall or built into a piece of furniture, providing a surface to store or display objects.
"She carefully arranged her collection of antique books on the top shelf of the bookcase."
A projecting horizontal ledge of rock or ice extending from a cliff or mountain face.
"The weary climbers rested on a narrow rock shelf before attempting the final vertical ascent."
A shallow, submerged plain of land forming the gently sloping border of a continent before the steep drop-off into the deep ocean.
"Marine biologists discovered a thriving coral ecosystem running along the edge of the continental shelf."
• Rhymes for shelf
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'schelfe', derived from Old English 'scylf' (meaning 'peak', 'crag', or 'shelf'), of Germanic origin. It is related to the Old Norse word 'skjálf' (bench).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.