shutter

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Photography Technical

n. the part of a camera that opens and closes to let light reach the film or sensor.

n. a device that allows light to pass for a determined period, exposing photographic film or a photosensitive digital sensor to light in order to capture an image.

“You need a fast shutter speed to take a clear photo of a moving car.”

“By using a slow shutter speed, the photographer captured the movement of the waterfall as a smooth, white blur.”

C1 · Advanced Formal

v. to close a business, factory, or shop permanently.

v. to cease operations or close a facility, often permanently or for a significant duration.

“The company decided to shutter its local branch after sales dropped.”

“Economic pressures forced the manufacturing giant to shutter several of its oldest plants, resulting in widespread job losses across the region.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to close the shutters on a window.

v. to provide or close up with shutters; often used in the context of preparing for a storm.

“They spent the morning shuttering the windows before the hurricane arrived.”

“The residents were advised to shutter their homes and move inland before the gale-force winds reached the coast.”