noun
shelter
SHEHL-tuh
noun
1
A place, or structure, that protects you from bad weather, danger, or attack.
"They built a rough shelter out of branches to get out of the rain."
"The bunker served as a shelter during the bombing raids."
2
An organization or building that offers temporary housing to people or animals who need it.
"She volunteers at a homeless shelter on weekends."
"They adopted their dog from the local animal shelter."
verb
1
To protect someone or something from harm, weather, or attack.
"The old oak tree sheltered them from the sudden downpour."
2
To find or take cover somewhere.
"They sheltered under the bridge until the storm passed."
How to Use Shelter
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomewhere (or something) that keeps you safe from weather, danger, or hardship — as a noun a safe place, as a verb the act of protecting or hiding there.
Common pairings
take shelter
seek shelter
homeless shelter
animal shelter
shelter from the storm
Word Forms
sheltered past tense, shelters plural, shelters singular
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They built a rough _____ out of branches to get out of the rain.
Etymology
From a Middle English word for a wall of locked shields formed by soldiers, going back to Old English scyldtruma — literally a "shield-troop." The military sense of a protective barrier eventually broadened into the everyday meaning of any place offering cover or safety.