shelve
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to place (something) on a shelf or shelves.
-
to put off or aside from consideration.
to shelve the question.
- Synonyms:
- pigeonhole, table, defer
-
to remove from active use or service; dismiss.
-
to furnish with shelves.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to place on a shelf
-
to provide with shelves
-
to put aside or postpone from consideration
-
to dismiss or cause to retire
verb
Other Word Forms
- shelver noun
Etymology
Origin of shelve1
First recorded in 1585–95; verb use of shelve(s)
Origin of shelve2
1580–90; origin uncertain; compare Frisian skelf not quite level
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Irenic proposed staff cuts, shelving projects, and leveraging AI; Snap’s board welcomes input, focusing on efficiency.
From Barron's
“Afeela might be shelved or it might be trashed,” Shaw said.
From Los Angeles Times
However, major operators have now shelved plans to return to the key maritime corridor that offers the fastest and most efficient transit from Asia to Europe and the U.S.
Washington and Tehran have a history of making negotiations happen in the face of seemingly incompatible demands by quietly shelving some of the most contentious points.
Freight rates could also be more volatile with shipping carriers expected to shelve their plans to return selected east-west services to Suez Canal transits, he adds.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
