shelf
//ʃɛlf//
Forms
- Plural
- shelves
- present (v1)
- shelf
- past (v2)
- shelfed
- past participle (v3)
- shelfed
- present participle
- shelfing
- 3rd person singular
- shelfs
Definitions
1.A flat, rigid structure, fixed at right angles to a wall or forming a part of a cabinet, desk, etc., and used to display, store, or support objects.
- We keep the old newspapers on the bottom shelf of the cupboard, and our photos on the top shelf.
2.The capacity of such an object
3.A projecting ledge that resembles such an object.
4.The part of a repository where shelvesets are stored.
- This is where the Visual Studio Shelving function can help. A shelf is a place on the server in source control that is separate from the main code line so it will not affect other developers.
1.Alternative form of shelve.
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #3385
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
Word family
Etymology
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.