shield

[ sheeld ]

/ ʃild /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR shield ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a broad piece of armor, varying widely in form and size, carried apart from the body, usually on the left arm, as a defense against swords, lances, arrows, etc.

a similar device, often of lightweight plastic, used by riot police to protect themselves from rocks and other thrown objects.

something shaped like a shield, variously round, octagonal, triangular, or somewhat heart-shaped.

a person or thing that protects.

a police officer's, detective's, or sheriff's badge.

Ordnance. a steel screen attached to a gun to protect its crew, mechanism, etc.

Mining. a movable framework for protecting a miner from cave-ins, etc.

Electricity. a covering, usually made of metal, placed around an electric device or circuit in order to reduce the effects of external electric and magnetic fields.

Zoology. a protective plate or the like on the body of an animal, as a scute, enlarged scale, etc.

dress shield.

Heraldry. an escutcheon, especially one broad at the top and pointed at the bottom, for displaying armorial bearings.

(initial capital letter) Astronomy. the constellation Scutum.

Also called continental shield. Geology. a vast area of ancient crustal rocks which, together with a platform, constitutes a craton.

a protective barrier against nuclear radiation, especially a lead or concrete structure around a reactor.

verb (used with object)

to protect (someone or something) with or as if with a shield.

to serve as a protection for.

to hide or conceal; protect by hiding.

Obsolete. to avert; forbid.

verb (used without object)

to act or serve as a shield.

Origin of shield

before 900; (noun) Middle English shelde, Old English sceld; cognate with Dutch, German Schild, Gothic skildus; (v.) Middle English shelden, Old English sceldan, scildan, derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM shield

shield·er, noun shield·less, adjective shield·less·ly, adverb shield·less·ness, noun

shield·like, adjective un·der·shield, noun un·shield·ed, adjective un·shield·ing, adjective

Words nearby shield

shicker, shickered, shidduch, shied, shiel, shield, shield back, shield bearer, shield bug, shield cricket, shield fern

Example sentences from the Web for shielding

Shielding students from the cissexism of the Western canon was too silly even for Oberlin.

Warning: This Column Will Offend You |Michael Moynihan |April 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The man next to him held a large piece of cardboard above his head, shielding his face from the baking sun.

Egypt’s Day of Rage |Sophia Jones |August 16, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Teachers showed uncommon courage, shielding their students with their bodies and speaking to them about love.

Oklahoma Tornado Devastation: What the Twister Left Behind |Michael Daly |May 22, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Instead, the government is shielding the industry from liability and helping keep the scope of the deaths secret.

If a Windmill Kills an Eagle, Does the Government Make a Sound? |Justin Green |May 14, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

Lohan was supposedly spotted outside of a nightclub in the back of an SUV after her hearing, shielding herself with a blanket.

Lindsay Lohan, Jay Leno & More Celebrities’ Week in Hell (Photos) |Anna Klassen |March 23, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Nimbly the little old gentleman thrust himself in front of her, barring her way, and shielding Gwendolyn.

The Poor Little Rich Girl |Eleanor Gates
Lady Jean had dropped on her knees by the dog, shielding him from the young officer's club.

Stories That End Well |Octave Thanet
She took her shielding hand away from the candle to point at a pile of jugs behind the still.

Bloom of Cactus |Robert Ames Bennet
He crouched above her, shielding her as best he could with his body.

The Littlest Rebel |Edward Peple
We have not a good team now, and I'm as bad as the worst member, so I'm not shielding myself.

Dick Hamilton's Football Team |Howard R. Garis

British Dictionary definitions for shielding

shield

/ (ʃiːld) /

noun

any protection used to intercept blows, missiles, etc, such as a tough piece of armour carried on the arm

any similar protective device

Also called: scutcheon, escutcheon heraldry a pointed stylized shield used for displaying armorial bearings

anything that resembles a shield in shape, such as a prize in a sports competition

the protective outer covering of an animal, such as the shell of a turtle

physics a structure of concrete, lead, etc, placed around a nuclear reactor or other source of radiation in order to prevent the escape of radiation

a broad stable plateau of ancient Precambrian rocks forming the rigid nucleus of a particular continent See Baltic Shield, Canadian Shield

short for dress shield

civil engineering a hollow steel cylinder that protects men driving a circular tunnel through loose, soft, or water-bearing ground

the shield informal

Australian short for the Sheffield Shield
NZ short for the Ranfurly Shield

verb

(tr) to protect, hide, or conceal (something) from danger or harm

Derived forms of shield

shielder, noun shieldlike, adjective

Word Origin for shield

Old English scield; related to Old Norse skjöldr, Gothic skildus, Old High German scilt shield, Old English sciell shell

Medical definitions for shielding

shield

[ shēld ]

n.

A protective device or structure, such as a lead sheet to protect an individual from x-rays.

Scientific definitions for shielding

shield

[ shēld ]

A wall or housing of an absorbing material, such as concrete or lead, built around a nuclear reactor to prevent the escape of radiation.

A structure or arrangement of metal plates or mesh designed to protect a piece of electronic equipment from electrostatic or magnetic interference.

A large geographic area where rocks of a continent's craton (the ancient, relatively undisturbed portion of a continental plate) are visible at the surface. A shield is often surrounded by platforms covered with sediment.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

shield

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of shield

OTHER WORDS FROM shield

Words nearby shield

Example sentences from the Web for shielding

British Dictionary definitions for shielding

noun

verb

Derived forms of shield

Word Origin for shield

Medical definitions for shielding

n.

Scientific definitions for shielding

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

shield

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of shield

OTHER WORDS FROM shield

Words nearby shield

Words related to shielding

Example sentences from the Web for shielding

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for shielding

noun

verb

Derived forms of shield

Word Origin for shield

Medical definitions for shielding

n.

Scientific definitions for shielding

British Dictionary definitions for shielding