Adjacent Words

Shelter definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SHEL'TER, n. [L. celo.]
1. That which covers or defends from injury or annoyance. A house is a shelter from rain and other inclemencies of the weather; the foliage of a tree is a shelter from the rays of the sun.
The healing plant shall aid,
From storms a shelter, and from heat a shade. Pope.
2. The state of being covered and protected; protection; security.
Who into shelter takes their tender bloom. Young.
3. He that defends or guards from danger.
SHEL'TER, v.t.
1. To cover from violence, injury, annoyance or attack; as a valley sheltered from the north wind by a mountain.
Those ruins shelter'd once his sacred head. Dryden.
We besought the deep shelter to us. Milton.
2. To defend; to protect from danger; to secure or render safe; to harbor.
What endless shall you gain,
to save and shelter Troy's unhappy train? Dryden.
3. To betake to cover or a safe place.
They sheltered themselves under a rock. Abbot.
4. To cover from notice; to disguise for protection.
In vain I strove to check my growing flame,
Or shelter passion under friendship's name. Prior.
SHEL'TER, v.i. To take shelter.
There the Indian herdsman shunning heat,
Shelters in cool. Milton.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
2: protective covering that provides protection from the weather
3: the condition of being protected; "they were huddled together for protection"; "he enjoyed a sense of peace and protection in his new home" [syn: protection, shelter]
4: a way of organizing business to reduce the taxes it must pay on current earnings [syn: tax shelter, shelter]
5: temporary housing for homeless or displaced persons v
1: provide shelter for; "After the earthquake, the government could not provide shelter for the thousands of homeless people"
2: invest (money) so that it is not taxable

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1585 1. a. something that covers or affords protection <a bomb shelter> b. an establishment providing food and shelter (as to the homeless) c. an establishment that houses and feeds stray animals 2. a position or the state of being covered and protected <took shelter> • shelterless adjective II. verb (sheltered; sheltering) Date: 1590 transitive verb 1. to constitute or provide a shelter for ; protect <has led a sheltered life> 2. to place under shelter or protection <sheltered himself in a mountain cave> 3. to protect (income) from taxation intransitive verb to take shelter • shelterer noun

U.S. Military Dictionary

An International Organization for Standardization container outfitted with live- or work-in capability. See also International Organization for Standardization. (JP 4-09)

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 anything serving as a shield or protection from danger, bad weather, etc. 2 a a place of refuge provided esp. for the homeless etc. b US an animal sanctuary. 3 a shielded condition; protection (took shelter under a tree). --v. 1 tr. act or serve as shelter to; protect; conceal; defend (sheltered them from the storm; had a sheltered upbringing). 2 intr. & refl. find refuge; take cover (sheltered under a tree; sheltered themselves behind the wall). Phrases and idioms: shelter-belt a line of trees etc. planted to protect crops from the wind. Derivatives: shelterer n. shelterless adj. Etymology: 16th c.: perh. f. obs. sheltron phalanx f. OE scieldtruma (as SHIELD, truma troop)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Shelter Shel"ter, v. i. To take shelter. There oft the Indian herdsman, shunning heat, Shelters in cool. --Milton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Shelter Shel"ter, n. [Cf. OE. scheltrun, shiltroun, schelltrome, scheldtrome, a guard, squadron, AS. scildtruma a troop of men with shields; scild shield + truma a band of men. See Shield, n.] 1. That which covers or defends from injury or annoyance; a protection; a screen. The sick and weak the healing plant shall aid, From storms a shelter, and from heat a shade. --Pope. 2. One who protects; a guardian; a defender. Thou [God] hast been a shelter for me. --Ps. lxi. 3. 3. The state of being covered and protected; protection; security. Who into shelter takes their tender bloom. --Young. Shelter tent,a small tent made of pieces of cotton duck arranged to button together. In field service the soldiers carry the pieces. Syn: Asylum; refuge; retreat; covert; sanctuary; protection; defense; security.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Shelter Shel"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sheltered; p. pr. & vb. n. Sheltering.] 1. To be a shelter for; to provide with a shelter; to cover from injury or annoyance; to shield; to protect. Those ruins sheltered once his sacred head. --Dryden. You have no convents . . . in which such persons may be received and sheltered. --Southey. 2. To screen or cover from notice; to disguise. In vain I strove to cheek my growing flame, Or shelter passion under friendship's name. --Prior. 3. To betake to cover, or to a safe place; -- used reflexively. They sheltered themselves under a rock. --Abp. Abbot.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(shelters, sheltering, sheltered) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A shelter is a small building or covered place which is made to protect people from bad weather or danger. The city's bomb shelters were being prepared for possible air raids. ...a bus shelter. N-COUNT 2. If a place provides shelter, it provides you with a place to stay or live, especially when you need protection from bad weather or danger. The number of families seeking shelter rose by 17 percent... ...the hut where they were given food and shelter. 3. A shelter is a building where homeless people can sleep and get food. ...a shelter for homeless women. N-COUNT 4. If you shelter in a place, you stay there and are protected from bad weather or danger. ...a man sheltering in a doorway... VERB: V prep/adv 5. If a place or thing is sheltered by something, it is protected by that thing from wind and rain. ...a wooden house, sheltered by a low pointed roof. VERB: usu passive, V-ed 6. If you shelter someone, usually someone who is being hunted by police or other people, you provide them with a place to stay or live. A neighbor sheltered the boy for seven days. VERB: V n 7. see also sheltered

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Asylum, refuge, retreat, cover, covert, sanctuary, harbor, haven. 2. Protection, shield, screen, defence, security, safety, cover. 3. Guardian, protector. II. v. a. Shield, screen, hide, shroud, protect, defend, cover, house, harbor, ensconce.

Moby Thesaurus

abri, accommodation, accommodations, air-raid shelter, arm, armor, asylum, bed, berth, billet, blanket, bless, bomb shelter, bombproof, bunk, bunker, cave, chamber, champion, cloak, coat, compass about, concealment, copyright, cover, coverage, covering, covert, coverture, cowl, cowling, curtain, cushion, cyclone cellar, defend, defense, den, diggings, digs, domicile, domiciliate, drape, drapery, dugout, dwelling, earth, ensure, eye, fallout shelter, fence, fend, foxhole, funk hole, guarantee, guard, guise, habitation, hanging, harbor, harborage, haven, hermitage, hide, hideaway, hideout, hole up, home, hood, house, housing, insure, keep, keep from harm, lay low, lee, lie low, living quarters, lodge, lodging, lodgings, lodgment, make safe, mantle, mask, nestle, pall, patent, police, port, preservation, protect, protection, protective custody, put up, quarter, quarters, refuge, register, retirement, retreat, ride shotgun for, roof, room, rooms, roost, safeguard, safekeeping, safety, safety zone, sanctuary, screen, secure, security, shade, shadow, shield, shroud, sleeping place, stable, storm cave, storm cellar, tower, trench, umbrella, underwrite, veil, vestment, watchful eye