shutter

1 of 2

noun

shut·​ter ˈshə-tər How to pronounce shutter (audio)
1
: one that shuts
2
: a usually movable cover or screen for a window or door
3
: a mechanical device that limits the passage of light
especially : a camera component that allows light to enter by opening and closing an aperture
4
: the movable louvers in a pipe organ by which the swell box is opened
shutterless adjective

shutter

2 of 2

verb

shuttered; shuttering; shutters

transitive verb

1
: to close by or as if by shutters
corporations shuttering their production plants
2
: to furnish with shutters

Example Sentences

Verb They locked the doors and shuttered the windows. They declared bankruptcy and shuttered the store.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Camera Grip stand is a compact miniature tripod that allows Galaxy S23 phones to stand in either a landscape or portrait orientation, with a detachable Bluetooth shutter button for snapping photographs or video at a distance. Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 17 Mar. 2023 Center the document in the viewfinder and press the shutter button. Jim Rossman, Dallas News, 27 Oct. 2022 The old process of manually focusing, setting the exposure, pushing the shutter button and winding the film forced me to use muscles that have lain dormant for years. Robert Gauthierstaff Photographer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2022 Instead of going into video mode, press and hold the white shutter button while dragging it to the right. Yoni Heisler, BGR, 30 July 2022 On Android phones, hold down your camera’s shutter button to enable burst mode. Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2022 There’s no point in investing in expensive equipment without understanding the relationship between aperture, ISO and shutter speed. David Nikel, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023 Start with a shutter speed of around 10 seconds to get the tail. Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2023 Photo modes include Nightscape, which offers truly amazing performance in low light, and pro mode, which gives the user the ability to set the ISO, shutter speed and white balance. Dallas News, 22 Sep. 2022
Verb
The bar was forced to shutter its doors in early 2022, but fortunately, Angel’s Share has risen like a phoenix, taking on new life in the form of a tiny pop-up speakeasy in the Hotel Eventi. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2023 Five days before production was set to begin in March 2020, Warners was forced to halt filming, as Elvis became one of the first major studio projects to shutter. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2023 Devastating floods hit New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, earlier this month, damaging homes still waiting repairs from the previous floods and forcing businesses to shutter. Heather Chen, CNN, 22 July 2022 Amazon said last week that the bill unfairly targets it and likely would force the company to shutter its marketplace used by third-party sellers. Leah Nylen, Bloomberg.com, 7 June 2022 When the coronavirus caused businesses to shutter, a flood of filings clogged the phone lines and crashed the website. Allie Morris, Dallas News, 4 May 2022 In Ottawa, the occupation has paralyzed the core and political center of Canada’s capital, pushing residents to sleepless fury and anxiety, and causing many businesses to shutter, losing tens of millions of dollars. New York Times, 7 Feb. 2022 At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when the government was forced to shutter schools across the country, Diksha became a primary tool for allowing students to access materials and coursework from home. WIRED, 23 Jan. 2023 It’s that mindset that not only kept her afloat during the pandemic when most beauty businesses were forced to shutter but led to exponential growth. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 16 Nov. 2022 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shutter was in 1542

Dictionary Entries Near shutter

Cite this Entry

“Shutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shutter. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

shutter

1 of 2 noun
shut·​ter ˈshət-ər How to pronounce shutter (audio)
1
: a movable cover for a window that swings on hinges like a door
2
: a device in a camera that opens to allow light to enter when a picture is taken

shutter

2 of 2 verb
: to close with or by shutters
kept the house shuttered

More from Merriam-Webster on shutter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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