shelf — A flat piece of wood, metal, or glass fixed to a wall or inside a cupboard for storing things
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: A flat piece of wood, metal, or glass fixed to a wall or inside a cupboard for storing things
Pronunciation (IPA): /ʃɛlf/
Example Sentences
- The cat knocked all the items off the shelf in 3 seconds flat.
- This milk has been sitting on the shelf for too long.
- I need a ladder to reach the top shelf where mom hides the cookies.
shelf
NOUN[/ʃɛlf/]
A flat piece of wood, metal, or glass fixed to a wall or inside a cupboard for storing things
Organizing books on a wall shelf
An elf on the shelf discovers itself
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Shelf derives from Germanic origins, ultimately tracing to roots meaning 'to split' or 'divide.' The word originally referred to a thin board or plank, conceptually linked to wood that has been split or cleaved, which naturally led to the sense of a flat surface for placing objects.
Breakdown
Old English scylfe (ledge, floor) → Middle English shelf. The root relates to Germanic splitting/dividing terminology, with the physical form of a thin board resulting from the action of splitting wood.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The cat knocked all the items off the shelf in 3 seconds flat.”
“This milk has been sitting on the shelf for too long.”
“I need a ladder to reach the top shelf where mom hides the cookies.”
“The earthquake caused all the dishes to fall off the shelf.”
📚Related Words
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