shut-in

[ shuht-in ]

adjective

1. confined to one's home, a hospital, etc., as from illness.
2. Psychiatry. disposed to desire solitude; withdrawn; asocial.
3. (of an oil or gas well) temporarily sealed up.

noun

1. a person confined by infirmity or disease to the house, a hospital, etc.
2. Also called shut-in well. an oil or gas well that has been closed down.

shut-in

noun

1. 1. a person confined indoors by illness
   2. ( as modifier )

      a shut-in patient

2. psychiatry a condition in which the person is highly withdrawn and unable to express his own feelings See also schizoid

Word History and Origins

Origin of shut-in¹

1840–50, Americanism; adj., noun use of verb phrase shut in

Example Sentences

The pharmacies' body, which isn’t a trade union, says 700 pharmacies have shut in England in the last two years alone - the equivalent of seven a week - because of workloads and budget cuts.

From BBC

Purnell's in Birmingham, which became famous for contemporary seasonal food, shut in October.

From BBC

Corporate executives who were previously critical of Trump have deliberately kept their mouths shut in recent months, sources told the Post.

From Salon

Even though Alameda is close to San Francisco and Oakland, the tunnels, bridges, and ferries that connect it to the mainland could easily be shut in an emergency, making the island’s hospital a lifeline.

From Los Angeles Times

It was forced to shut in May when one affected patron sued the gallery for gender discrimination and won.

From BBC

Related Words

• circumscribed
• cramped
• imprisoned
• restrained
• restricted