Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [shelf]
- /ʃɛlf/
- /ʃelf/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [shelf]
- /ʃɛlf/
Definitions of shelf word
- noun plural shelf a thin slab of wood, metal, etc., fixed horizontally to a wall or in a frame, for supporting objects. 1
- noun plural shelf the contents of this: a shelf of books. 1
- noun plural shelf a surface or projection resembling this; ledge. 1
- noun plural shelf Physical Geography. a sandbank or submerged extent of rock in the sea or river. the bedrock underlying an alluvial deposit or the like. continental shelf. 1
- noun plural shelf Archery. the upper part of the bow hand, on which the arrow rests. 1
- idioms shelf off the shelf, readily available from merchandise in stock: Any of those parts can be purchased off the shelf. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of shelf
First appearance:
before 1350 One of the 20% oldest English words
1350-1400; Middle English; Old English scylfe; akin to Low German schelf shelf, Old Norse -skjalf bench
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Shelf
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
shelf popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 88% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
shelf usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for shelf
noun shelf
- abruptness — sudden or unexpected: an abrupt departure.
- arbor — An arbor is a shelter in a garden which is formed by leaves and stems of plants growing close together over a light framework.
- bench — A bench is a long seat of wood or metal that two or more people can sit on.
- boulder — A boulder is a large rounded rock.
- cobblestone — Cobblestones are stones with a rounded upper surface which used to be used for making streets.
adjective shelf
- depthless — immeasurably deep; fathomless
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