shelter

1 of 2

noun

shel·​ter ˈshel-tər How to pronounce shelter (audio)
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 or unwanted animals
2
: a position or the state of being covered and protected
took shelter
shelterless adjective

shelter

2 of 2

verb

sheltered; sheltering ˈshel-t(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce shelter (audio)

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
Phrases
shelter in place
: to remain inside in one's current location until a danger has passed : to temporarily take shelter in a protected space
The … campus was placed under lockdown in response to the shooting. People on campus were advised to shelter in place. No students were hurt or endangered, the school said.Julia Jacobo
These communities—including our own—need to start hardening themselves against future fires. That means preparing homes for fires the way we already do for earthquakes and floods. It also means developing better alert systems, heeding evacuation warnings when they come and being prepared to shelter in place when escape routes are cut off …The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California)

Examples of shelter in a Sentence

Noun We made a shelter from branches. a shelter for battered women The organization provides food and shelter for homeless people. The crowd ran for shelter when the rain started. They sought shelter from the storm. Verb A cave sheltered the climbers during the storm. They sheltered in a cave while they waited for the storm to pass.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
As of the week of Nov. 27, there were over 2,400 people on the city’s shelter wait list. Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2024 After going through paperwork and completing a counseling session with shelter staff, Moncayo adopted the dog that day. Sydney Page, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 According to the library's website, Worcester librarians will accept a photo or drawing of a pet cat, a friend's cat, a famous cat, a shelter cat, or literally any furry friend. Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 California lacks anywhere near enough homeless shelters for everyone living on the street. Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 On the other hand, until 2019, all of Ciudad Juárez, which sits across from El Paso, Texas, had only two shelters. Whitney Eulich, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2024 The rabbits, including babies, nursing mothers, juveniles and adult rabbits, are currently housed at six animal shelters across Los Angeles. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 The 4-1 vote Wednesday moves the city closer to eventually creating its own shelter. Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024 Operation White Flag is in effect and people that need shelter can stay in the Salvation Army, 911 S. Brook Street and Wayside Christian Mission, 432 E. Jefferson Street. The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
The clinic now only serves animals that are being sheltered at the site, but Hansen said the Humane Society plans to open it as an after-hours urgent care community clinic in 2025. Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 Rafah is a nearly twenty-five-square-mile area, in which refugees from Gaza City and Khan Younis are now sheltering. Bernard Avishai, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2024 About a half-hour after the lockdown began, Maryland State Police worked to escort out staff and other personnel who had been sheltering within the State House building. Erin Cox, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 Following Jesse's birth, Bob took a break from music, according to The Times, sheltering Jesse from his father’s fame. Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024 In the fiscal year that ended in June, the state allocated $150 million for sheltering services for migrants. Calmatters, Orange County Register, 27 Feb. 2024 Out of the legal battle, both sides came to a three-year agreement, allowing the church to shelter up to 30 adults each night from December through March. Sarah Ritter, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2024 Blanchard wants to find a good balance between sheltering her kids too much and not enough. Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 Children sheltering from overhead threats have spent 3,800 to 4,500 hours — up to half a year — underground, undercutting their education and leaving them at significant risk of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Sarah Ferguson, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shelter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1590, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shelter was in 1585

Dictionary Entries Near shelter

Cite this Entry

“Shelter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shelter. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shelter

1 of 2 noun
shel·​ter ˈshel-tər How to pronounce shelter (audio)
1
a
: something that covers or protects
an air raid shelter
a fallout shelter
b
: a place that provides food and lodging (as to the homeless)
c
: a place that houses and feeds stray or unwanted animals
2
: the state of being protected
take shelter from a storm

shelter

2 of 2 verb
sheltered; sheltering -t(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce shelter (audio)
1
: to be a shelter for : provide with shelter
2
: to find and use a shelter

More from Merriam-Webster on shelter

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