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# shelf

«shelf» in Mova's school dictionary: **a flat board on a wall or in a cupboard for putting…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (shelf, shelves)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A shelf is a flat board on a wall or in a cupboard for putting things on. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shelf/#m1)

2) A shelf is a flat layer of rock or ice, like an ice shelf. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shelf/#m2)

3) «On the shelf» can mean put aside and not used. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shelf/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

an equal group: shelves with a number of books or cans on each; in shops and libraries; phrases «top shelf», «bottom shelf», «on the shelf», «bookshelf», «ice shelf»

### examples

- Each shelf has 8 books. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shelf/#x1)
- There are 5 shelves. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shelf/#x2)
- How many books are on the shelves? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shelf/#x3)
- He put 24 books on 4 shelves equally. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shelf/#x4)
- The jam is on the top shelf. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shelf/#x5)
- The library has shelves of picture books. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shelf/#x6)
- Put the cups back on the shelf. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shelf/#x7)
- The cans were stacked on the shelves of the shop. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shelf/#x8)
- Antarctica has huge ice shelves. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shelf/#x9)
- She can't reach the top shelf without a step. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shelf/#x10)
- You will find an oil-can on a shelf in my cottage.” [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shelf/#x11)

### note

A group: shelves × things each; «put equally on shelves» divides. Trap: shelves are not the things counted. Plural «shelves» (f changes to v). Safety: do not climb shelves to reach things; heavy shelves can fall.

### In the corpora

- [The sides of the well were filled with cupboards and book-shelves, with maps and pictures hung on pegs.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/1-alice-ch1-part1-down-the-rabbit-hole/13/)
- ["On the shelf" is an old, unkind phrase for someone seen as too old to marry (UK).](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/13-relations-and-family/21/)
- [Tall shelves can tip if climbed, so use the step stool or ask the librarian.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/259-library-and-books/18/)
- [In most US states the shelf price does not include sales tax, which is added at the till.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/261-pocket-money-saving-and-spending/16/)
- [In the USA the shelf price may not include sales tax, which is added at the checkout.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/273-shops-restaurants-and-libraries/9/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «shelf» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shelf/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.