English Explanatory Dictionary

shelve

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To furnish (a place) with shelves; especially, to furnish (a library, etc.) with bookshelves.
  2. To place (something) on a shelf; especially, to place or arrange (books) on a bookshelf.
  3. To place (something) in a certain location, as if on a shelf.
  4. To take (drugs) by anal or vaginal insertion.
  5. To have sex with (someone).
  6. To set aside (something), as if on a shelf.
  7. To postpone or put aside, or entirely cease dealing with (a matter for discussion, a project, etc.).
  8. To remove (someone) from active service.
  9. To hang over or project like a shelf; to overhang.
noun
  1. A rocky shelf or ledge of a cliff, a mountain, etc.
verb
  1. To tilt or tip (a cart) to discharge its contents.
  2. Of land or a surface: to incline, to slope.
  3. To be in an inclined or sloping position.
noun
  1. Alternative spelling of shelf (“a reef, sandbar, or shoal”).
name
  1. A hamlet in Worthen with Shelve parish, western Shropshire, England (OS grid ref SO3399).

Pronunciation

/ʃɛlv/ En-au-shelve.ogg

Word forms

shelve shelves shelving shelved no-table-tags glossary shelvest shelvedst shelveth

Etymology

The verb is a back-formation from shelves, the plural of shelf (“flat, rigid structure, fixed at right angles to a wall or forming a part of a cabinet, desk, etc., and used to display, store, or support objects”). The noun is derived from etymology 1, verb sense 2 (“(obsolete) to hang over or project like a shelf”).

Synonyms

Formal terms bed coit coitize dight enjoy feague go in unto go to bed with have know lie by lie with love mount occupy penetrate season seduce sleep with take Any of Thesaurus:copulate + "with" Informal and slang terms ball bang bauf beep be with bone boff boink bonk boom-boom dick diddle dig out do doink drill eff expletive deleted fill frack frak frick frig fuck get into someone's pants get over on get up in give someone one give someone the time go with have one's way with have one's wicked way with hit hump jape jump jump someone's bones

Antonyms

deshelve unshelve

Derived words

bookshelve deshelve misshelve reshelve shelvement shelver shelveset shelving unshelve shelvy

Translations

Chinese Mandarin: 安放 Chinese Mandarin: 擱放 /搁放 Chinese Mandarin: 擱置 /搁置 Chinese Mandarin: 置放 Finnish: panna Finnish: laittaa Hebrew: גָּנַז Italian: riporre
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