— shielder , n. — shieldless , adj. — shieldlessly , adv. — shieldlessness , n. — shieldlike , adj.
/sheeld/ , n.
1. a broad piece of armor, varying widely in form and size, carried apart from the body, usually on the left arm, as a defense against swords, lances, arrows, etc.
2. a similar device, often of lightweight plastic, used by riot police to protect themselves from rocks and other thrown objects.
3. something shaped like a shield, variously round, octagonal, triangular, or somewhat heart-shaped.
4. a person or thing that protects.
5. a police officer's, detective's, or sheriff's badge.
6. Ordn. a steel screen attached to a gun to protect its crew, mechanism, etc.
7. Mining. a movable framework for protecting a miner from cave-ins, etc.
8. Elect. a covering, usually made of metal, placed around an electric device or circuit in order to reduce the effects of external electric and magnetic fields.
9. Zool. a protective plate or the like on the body of an animal, as a scute, enlarged scale, etc.
10. See dress shield .
11. Heraldry. an escutcheon, esp. one broad at the top and pointed at the bottom, for displaying armorial bearings.
12. ( cap. ) Astron. the constellation Scutum.
13. Geol. a vast area of ancient crustal rocks which, together with a platform, constitutes a craton.
14. a protective barrier against nuclear radiation, esp. a lead or concrete structure around a reactor.
v.t.
15. to protect (someone or something) with or as if with a shield.
16. to serve as a protection for.
17. to hide or conceal; protect by hiding.
18. Obs. to avert; forbid.
v.i.
19. to act or serve as a shield.
[ bef. 900; (n.) ME shelde, OE sceld; c. D, G Schild, Goth skildus; (v.) ME shelden, OE sceldan, scildan, deriv. of the n. ]