Meaning of shelf In English

• 0 a long, flat board fixed horizontally, usually against a wall or inside a cupboard so that objects can be stored on it:

  • a glass shelf

  • on the top/bottom shelf

  • One wall had shelves from floor to ceiling, crammed with books.

  • It's often cheaper if you buy wallpaper off the shelf, rather than having to order it.

  • off-the-shelf goods/clothes

• 1 a long, flat board hung on a wall or supported by a frame or cabinet, used to hold objects:

  • Her shelves are filled with books and photographs.

• 2 a long flat board fixed horizontally, for example against a wall or inside a cupboard, on which objects are stored or shown for sale:

  • In another room, stacked on every available shelf are four to five hundred large storage boxes.

  • Supermarket shelves are filled with cheap, mass-produced food that is packed with calories.

  • fill/refill the shelves

  • stock/restock the shelves

  • The manufacturer has asked retailers to remove the product from the shelves.

• 3 if a product can be bought off the shelf, it does not need to be specially made or requested:

  • It's often cheaper if you buy wallpaper off the shelf, rather than having to order it.

  • The electronic components needed to make the sensors were easily available off the shelf.