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shelf

n.
US //ˈʃɛɫf// UK //ʃˈɛlf// shelf
  1. 1 storage surface (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    a flat board on a wall or in a cupboard where you can put books, tools, or other objects.

    a flat, rigid structure fixed horizontally to a wall or as part of a piece of furniture, used for storage or display.

    Example

    He put the new books on the top shelf so the children couldn't reach them.

    Example

    The carpenter installed adjustable shelves in the pantry to accommodate various sizes of kitchen appliances and storage containers.

    Usage

    The plural form is 'shelves'.
    Pitfall
    I bought two new shelfs for my room.
    I bought two new shelves for my room.

    The plural of 'shelf' is 'shelves'.

  2. 2 geological ledge (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Science

    a flat, rocky area that sticks out from a cliff or under the ocean.

    a projecting ledge of rock or a submerged bank, such as a continental shelf.

    Example

    The divers explored the coral shelf just off the coast of the island.

    Example

    The continental shelf extends for miles beneath the ocean surface before dropping off into the deep basin.

    Teacher's tip

    Often used in the specific geographical term 'continental shelf'.
Etymology 1

From Middle English schelfe, probably from Old English sċylfe, sċilfe (“shelf, ledge, deck of a ship”), from Proto-West Germanic skilfijā, from Proto-Germanic skelfō (“shelf, ledge, cliff”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to cut”), distantly related to sculpt, carve and shell. Cognate with Dutch schelf (“hay loft, haystack”), German Low German Schelf (“haystack”), Old Norse skjalf (“bench”).

Etymology 2

Of obscure origin; evidently identical to Middle English shelp (“sandbar in a river”), but the sound shift is unexpected. Shelp might be from Old English scylp (“crag”) or Middle Dutch schelp-.

Idioms1 entry

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