shield

Meaning

Noun

1. Anything that protects or defends; defense; shelter; protection.
2. (figuratively) Anything that protects or defends; defense; shelter; protection.
3. Anything that protects or defends; defense; shelter; protection.
4. Anything that protects or defends; defense; shelter; protection.
5. Anything that protects or defends; defense; shelter; protection.
6. A shape like that of a shield; usually, an inverted triangle with sides that curve inward to form a pointed bottom, commonly used for police identifications and company logos.
7. (Scotland, euphemistic, obsolete) A shape like that of a shield; usually, an inverted triangle with sides that curve inward to form a pointed bottom, commonly used for police identifications and company logos.
8. A shape like that of a shield; usually, an inverted triangle with sides that curve inward to form a pointed bottom, commonly used for police identifications and company logos.
9. (obsolete) A shape like that of a shield; usually, an inverted triangle with sides that curve inward to form a pointed bottom, commonly used for police identifications and company logos.
10. A shape like that of a shield; usually, an inverted triangle with sides that curve inward to form a pointed bottom, commonly used for police identifications and company logos.
11. (colloquial) A shape like that of a shield; usually, an inverted triangle with sides that curve inward to form a pointed bottom, commonly used for police identifications and company logos.
12. A large expanse of exposed stable Precambrian rock.
13. A large expanse of exposed stable Precambrian rock.
14. (Scotland, euphemistic, figuratively, obsolete) A place with a toilet seat: an outhouse; a lavatory.
15. (British, English) Parts at the front and back of a vehicle which are meant to absorb the impact of a collision

Verb

1. (ambitransitive) To protect, to defend.
2. (UK, intransitive) To shelter; to protect oneself.
3. To protect from the influence of.

Synonyms

protect

screen

shelter

cover

safeguard

guard

💂

shielding

protection

defend

buckler

escutcheon

hide

preserve

armor

shade

armour

aegis

shell

🐚

defense

conceal

sign

hood

harbour

barrier

carapace

save

curtain

harbor

defence

shield from

scutum

screening

cloak

ward off

leather shield

auspices

scutcheon

cap

asylum

covering

protector

secure

mask

😷

cuticle

patronage

board

folding screen

coat of mail

coat of arms

coating

Translations

bouclier

🛡️

Schild

scudo

🛡️

escudo

🛡️

schild

🛡️

escudo

🛡️

écu

🛡️

scutum

escut

🛡️

ασπίδα

kalkan

🛡️

escut

uithangbord

wapenschild

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ʃiːld/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: scheld

Inherited from Old English: scield

Cognate with Western Frisian: skyld

Cognate with Dutch: schild

Cognate with German: Schild

Cognate with Danish: skjold

Cognate with Icelandic: skjöldur

Cognate with Faroese: skjøldur

Cognate with Latin: scūtum

Cognate with Irish: sciath

Cognate with Latgalian: škīda

Cognate with Lithuanian: skydas

Cognate with Russian: щит

Inherited from Middle English: shelden

Inherited from Old English: scildan

In summary

From Middle English scheld, shelde, from Old English scield (“shield”), from Proto-West Germanic *skeldu, from Proto-Germanic *skelduz (“shield”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“cut, split”). Cognate with West Frisian skyld, Dutch schild (“shield”), German Schild (“shield”), Danish skjold (“shield”), Icelandic skjöldur (“shield”) and Faroese skjøldur (“shield”).
Compare Latin scūtum (“shield”), Irish sciath (“shield”), Latgalian škīda (“shield”), Lithuanian skydas (“shield”), Russian щит (ščit, “shield”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH- (“to cover, protect”), *skey- (“to cut, split”).