- a thin slab of wood, metal, etc., fixed horizontally to a wall or in a frame, for supporting objects.
- the contents of this: a shelf of books.
- a surface or projection resembling this; ledge.
- Physical Geography.
- a sandbank or submerged extent of rock in the sea or river.
- the bedrock underlying an alluvial deposit or the like.
- continental shelf.
- the upper part of the bow hand, on which the arrow rests.
- readily available from merchandise in stock: Any of those parts can be purchased off the shelf.
- on the shelf, Informal.
- put aside temporarily; postponed.
- inactive; useless.
- without prospects of marriage, as after having broken an engagement.
- a thin flat plank of wood, metal, etc, fixed horizontally against a wall, etc, for the purpose of supporting objects
- something resembling this in shape or function
- the objects placed on a shelf, regarded collectively
- a projecting layer of ice, rock, etc, on land or in the sea
- a layer of bedrock hit when sinking a shaft
- the part of the hand on which an arrow rests when the bow is grasped
- See off the shelf
- put aside or abandoned: used esp of unmarried women considered to be past the age of marriage
- to inform upon
