shelve
pronunciation
How to pronounce shelve in British English:
UK [ʃelv]
How to pronounce shelve in American English:
US [ʃelv]
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- Verb:
- hold back to a later time
- place on a shelve
Word Origin
- shelve (v.1)
- 1590s, "to overhang," also "to provide with shelves," probably a back-formation from shelves, plural of shelf (n.1). Meaning "put on a shelf" first recorded 1650s; metaphoric sense of "lay aside, dismiss" is from 1812. Related: Shelved; shelving.
- shelve (v.2)
- "to slope gradually," 1610s, from Middle English shelven "to slope," from shelfe "grassy slope," a word related to shelf (n.1). Related: Shelved; shelving.
Example
- 1. The response he received obliged him to shelve his plans .
- 2. Huge street protests forced the government to shelve it indefinitely .
- 3. Russia has welcomed the decision to shelve the existing scheme .
- 4. He should have the courage not to shelve this latest report just like all the others .
- 5. Or else you can do what we always do and shelve your outrage for another year .