shield

noun

\ ˈshēld

Definition of shield

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a broad piece of defensive armor carried on the arm

2 : one that protects or defends : defense

3 : dress shield

4a : a device or part that serves as a protective cover or barrier

b : a protective structure (such as a carapace, scale, or plate) of some animals

5 : escutcheon especially : one that is wide at the top and rounds to a point at the bottom

6 : the Precambrian nuclear mass of a continent that is surrounded and sometimes covered by sedimentary rocks

7 : something resembling a shield: such as

a : apothecium

b : a police officer's badge

c : a decorative or identifying emblem

shield

verb

shielded; shielding; shields

Definition of shield (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to protect with or as if with a shield : provide with a protective cover or shelter

b : to cut off from observation : hide

2 obsolete : forbid

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Choose the Right Synonym for shield

Verb

defend, protect, shield, guard, safeguard mean to keep secure from danger or against attack. defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack. defend the country protect implies the use of something (such as a covering) as a bar to the admission or impact of what may attack or injure. a hard hat to protect your head shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack. shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger. White House entrances are well guarded safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger. our civil liberties must be safeguarded

Examples of shield in a Sentence

Noun

the heat shield on a space shuttle the slightly built boy used his sharp wit as a shield against the school's bullies

Verb

celebrities who are shielded by a cluster of bodyguards whenever they appear in public she shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

To cap it all off, the reality TV star threw on a futuristic pair of shield-like sunglasses, leaning into the Yeezy Barbie aesthetic. — Vogue, "Kim Kardashian West Is Bringing Back This OTT Boot Trend," 29 Apr. 2019 Judging by this shield and sword combo, Badu is clearly in warrior mode at the start of 2019. — Rachel Hahn, Vogue, "No, Erykah Badu’s Latest Headwear Isn’t a Huge Hat—It’s an Extreme Pair of Glasses," 11 Jan. 2019 Blackout also adds quite a few features from the main multiplayer mode, including mechanical grappling hooks, deployable shields, and RC cars for remote scouting. — Nick Statt, The Verge, "Black Ops 4 merges Fortnite and PUBG into the best Call of Duty in years," 19 Oct. 2018 Certain items used as weapons last year are also banned, including: sticks, shields and open flames. — Fox News, "Charlottesville, DC prepare for anniversary of violent rally," 9 Aug. 2018 In response, Russia is drumming up a whole host of new nuclear weapons to get around a missile shield. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Russia Tests Yet Another Hypersonic Weapon," 27 Dec. 2018 Formulated with hyaluronic acid and essential fatty acids, this cream moisturizes while forming a protective shield on skin to lock in all the moisture. — Tanisha Pina, Allure, "Dermstore’s Massive Labor Day Beauty Sale Has Already Started — Here’s What to Shop," 28 Aug. 2018 There would be more consequences for Edwards because of his nomadic college career, but the sports bubble provided an impenetrable shield. — Jeff Metcalfe, azcentral, "For ASU's Herm Edwards, sports bubble helped to overcome racism growing up," 12 July 2018 Prosecutors say Fields was the driver of the vehicle and was photographed hours before the attack with a shield bearing the emblem of one of the hate groups taking part in the rally. — Robert Strickley, Cincinnati.com, "NKY native James Alex Fields pleads not guilty in Charlottesville attack," 5 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

As legend has it, Lady Godiva rode through the streets of eleventh-century Coventry with only her flowing mane to shield her in an exhibitionist bid to lower taxes. — Emily Spivak, Vogue, "How Extra-Long Hair Became This Season’s Most Subversive Style," 16 May 2019 High-voltage electricians wear protective clothing to shield them from the explosive power of a high-voltage arc flash—a high-energy spark that jumps through the air from one conductor to another. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "How to Become a Skilled Tradesperson," 13 Mar. 2019 This not only helps protect more delicate fabrics from abrasion and snagging on hardware, but shields dark colors from wear and tear that can cause fading, says Forte. — Brigitt Earley, Good Housekeeping, "A Laundry Expert's 8 Biggest Dos and Don'ts," 8 Feb. 2019 Trump has tried terminating the Obama-era DACA program, which shields people brought to the U.S. illegally as children, but has been blocked so far by federal judges. — Andrew Taylor, The Seattle Times, "Senate sets up showdown votes on shutdown plans," 22 Jan. 2019 The plan also included a landscaped buffer that would shield the drive-thru from motorists passing on Mayfield Road. — Jeff Piorkowski/special To Cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "South Euclid Council says no to Burger King drive-thru," 13 Mar. 2018 John Carreyrou, who wrote the Wall Street Journal investigation that eventually brought Holmes down, at least appears to say that these powerful connections likely shielded Holmes from regulatory interest. — Bridget Read, Vogue, "The Inventor Misses Elizabeth Holmes’s—And Silicon Valley’s—Most Insidious Crimes," 19 Mar. 2019 Go with a lightweight, hypoallergenic option like Burt’s Bees Sensitive Eye Cream, which helps to shield the eye area from potential irritants (another great benefit of the cotton extract). — Baze Mpinja, Marie Claire, "Have Sensitive Skin? Do These 4 Things Before Bed," 8 Mar. 2019 Protect against vision loss: Just one cup of kale has more than your whole day's worth of the carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, which help shield ocular tissues from harmful UV damage and may reduce your risk of cataracts. — Jaclyn London, Ms, Rd, Cdn, Good Housekeeping, "Kale Is Actually One of the Healthiest Things You Can Eat," 17 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shield.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.