shelter
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈʃɛltə/
ipa: /ˈʃɛltɚ/
rhymes: -ɛltə(ɹ)
homophone: Shelta (non-rhotic)
Forms: form: shelters
Etymology: From Middle English sheltron, sheldtrume (“roof or wall formed by locked shields”), from Old English sċildtruma, sċyldtruma (“a phalanx, company (of troops), a tortoise, a covering, shed, shelter”, literally “shield-troop”), from sċyld, sċield (“shield”) + truma (“a troop of soldiers”). Cognate with Scots schilthrum, schiltrum. More at shield, and Old English trymman (“to strengthen”), from trum (“strong, firm”) at trim.
Doublet of sheltron (a kind of military formation), which is the more conservative of the two.
Senses: examples: text: The band of explorers found a shelter behind the waterfall, which they rested at for three days.
text: rock shelter
glosses: Somewhere one can find protection.
A place where a person or animal may find protection from the elements (especially rain, storms, or cold) sometimes as a place to sleep (such as a cave).
examples: text: The detective kept them in view. He made his way casually along the inside of the shelter until he reached an open scuttle close to where the two men were standing talking. Eavesdropping was not a thing Larard would have practised from choice, but there were times when, in the public interest, he had to do it, and this was one of them.
ref: 1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 7, in Well Tackled!:
text: bus shelter
text: waiting shelter
glosses: Somewhere one can find protection.
A bare-bones above-ground structure meant to provide temporary cover from the elements; usually small and with no door to close.
raw_tags: as the head in compounds
examples: text: tornado shelter
text: fallout shelter
text: air-raid shelter
glosses: Somewhere one can find protection.
A place for protection from deadly conditions outside, including military assault; usually partly or fully underground.
examples: text: (in compounds)
text: women's shelter
text: homeless shelter
glosses: Somewhere one can find protection.
A refuge, sanctuary, or (by metonymy) institution that provides temporary housing or a place to sleep for those in need or in danger.
synonyms: home
examples: text: I wish more people would look for pets at the shelter before turning to breeders!
text: kill shelter
glosses: Somewhere one can find protection.
A refuge, sanctuary, or (by metonymy) institution that provides temporary housing or a place to sleep for those in need or in danger.
An animal shelter.
synonyms: home
raw_tags: with the definite article
examples: text: Along with air, water, and food, shelter is often recognized as a human necessity.
glosses: That which provides protection or cover.
glosses: The state of being protected or shielded.
Derived terms: Adirondack shelter
air-raid shelter
Anderson shelter
animal shelter
bomb shelter
bus shelter
fallout shelter
fall-out shelter
homeless shelter
kill shelter
Morrison shelter
night shelter
no-kill shelter
rock shelter
shelter belt
shelter deck
shelter dog
shelter half
shelter-half
shelter in place
shelter-in-place
shelter tent
tax shelter
tornado shelter
typhoon shelter
waiting shelter
women's shelter
Related terms: cover
roof
shed
shield