shelf

Definitions

1. 1.A sand bank in the sea, or a rock, or ledge of rocks, rendering the water shallow, and dangerous to ships. On the tawny sands and shelves. Milton. On the secret shelves with fury cast. Dryden.
2. 2.(Mining) A stratum lying in a very even manner; a flat, projecting layer of rock.
3. 3.(Naut.) A piece of timber running the whole length of a vessel inside the timberheads. D. Kemp. To lay on the shelf, to lay aside as unnecessary or useless; to dismiss; to discard.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "shelf" mean?
• What is another word for "shelf"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is shelf.

• What is a sand bank in the sea, or a rock, or ledge of rocks, rendering the water shallow, and dangerous to ships. On the tawny sands and shelves. Milton. On the secret shelves with fury cast. Dryden called?
• What is a stratum lying in a very even manner; a flat, projecting layer of rock called?
• What is a piece of timber running the whole length of a vessel inside the timberheads. D. Kemp. To lay on the shelf, to lay aside as unnecessary or useless; to dismiss; to discard called?