# shelve

> English word · Verb · IPA /ʃɛlv/ · frequency rank #60,461

## Definitions
1. To furnish (a place) with shelves; especially, to furnish (a library, etc.) with bookshelves.
2. To place (something) on a shelf; especially, to place or arrange (books) on a bookshelf.
3. To place (something) in a certain location, as if on a shelf.
4. To place (something) in a certain location, as if on a shelf.
5. To set aside (something), as if on a shelf.
6. To set aside (something), as if on a shelf.
7. To hang over or project like a shelf; to overhang.

## Etymology
The verb is a back-formation from shelves, the plural of shelf (“flat, rigid structure, fixed at right angles to a wall or forming a part of a cabinet, desk, etc., and used to display, store, or support objects”).
The noun is derived from etymology 1 sense 2 (“(obsolete) to hang over or project like a shelf”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/shelve