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

Examples of shutter in a Sentence

Verb They locked the doors and shuttered the windows. They declared bankruptcy and shuttered the store.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
These high-end point-and-shoots make snapping high-caliber photos on the move easy and seamless, requiring little to no steps before hitting the shutter. Alex Erdekian, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Feb. 2024 Using black to paint shutters can add sophistication to the exterior of your home. Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 2024 The microfiber rollers can get between the slats of your blinds or shutters to ensure an effective clean and get to every hard to reach spot. Kat Romero, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2024 When closed, the slats of shutters and blinds (often made from wood, vinyl, or metal) can also block the sun's rays. Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2024 Another image showed Martins holding a camera that appeared to be missing a shutter button. Karla Adam, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 Builders can flip the bed to wake Mirabel up, spin the chimney to change the weather, and twist the shutters. Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 The program was set to run out of funds by January 2024 without additional funding, something Democrats and program advocates warned could trigger large tuition increases for parents, worsen staff shortages and shutter child care programs. Jessie Opoien, Journal Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2024 Faux green shutters decorate some of Saigon Oi’s walls, showcasing illustrations of the historic, sprawling Bến Thành Market in Ho Chi Minh City. Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
Sadly, most longstanding businesses have shuttered as Silicon Valley’s tech moguls continue to blitzkrieg the real estate market in a digitized world. Alan Chazaro, SPIN, 21 Mar. 2024 Like an adjacent office and storage building, named for the late newspaper publisher and museum trustee David C. Copley, the baggage depot was shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic and did not reopen. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 The deadlines: Without new legislation, many agencies will shutter at 12:01 a.m. March 23. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 Retailers also have been shuttering stores for years as consumers shift their shopping online. Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 Granite Shore Power, a subsidiary of Atlas Holdings, confirmed in an interview with the Monitor that there were no official plans to shutter the power plant, but declined to be quoted. Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Mar. 2024 The company last week shuttered its electric vehicle project. Laura Bratton, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024 And because the pandemic shuttered the courts, there were no appearances in her case for more than two years. Jake Pearson, ProPublica, 7 Mar. 2024 The Fairfax Connector bus service, the largest bus system in Northern Virginia, has been shuttered since Feb. 22, when hundreds of workers went on strike over contract negotiations for better pay and benefits. Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024

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

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 28 Mar. 2024.

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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