plural shields
1
: a broad piece of defensive armor carried on the arm
2
: something or someone that protects or defends : defense
A healthy lifestyle may act as a shield against preventable diseases.
3
a
: a device or part that serves as a protective cover or barrier
They were covered head to toe in protective gear—rubber boots, gowns, aprons, gloves, masks, head caps and plastic eye shields.—
Blaine Harden
see also dress shield, face shield, heat shield, windshield
Blaine Harden
b
: a protective structure (such as a carapace, scale, or plate) of some animals
4
: escutcheon
especially
: one that is wide at the top and rounds to a point at the bottom
5
: the Precambrian nuclear mass of a continent that is surrounded and sometimes covered by sedimentary rocks
6
: something resembling a shield: such as
a
b
: a police officer's badge
c
: a decorative or identifying emblem
shielded; shielding; shields
1
a
: to protect with or as if with a shield : provide with a protective cover or shelter
b
: to cut off from observation : hide
2
obsolete
: forbid
shielder
noun
Synonyms
Examples of shield in a Sentence
Noun
the heat shield on a space shuttle
the slightly built boy used his sharp wit as a shield against the school's bullies
Verb
celebrities who are shielded by a cluster of bodyguards whenever they appear in public
she shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand
Recent Examples on the WebElsa Keslassy, Variety, 7 Apr. 2024
Fortunately, there's a robust solution to help minimize such interruptions to your computing time: AdGuard.
AdGuard is not only an ad-blocker but also a digital shield for users and their devices.
—Stackcommerce Team, PCMAG, 27 Mar. 2024
Level 14 welding shields are another great way to do it.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 22 Mar. 2024
The shield of mystery around Opus Dei still needs to be fully removed.
—Longreads, 22 Mar. 2024
Rajan Khanna on Dune vs. Dune: Part Two: The first film had to set up a lot of the language, especially if you’re not used to Dune, how the world works, how the technology works, the shields and all that.
—Geek's Guide To The Galaxy, WIRED, 22 Mar. 2024
The northern Plains and Great Lakes will face a swath of snow until the end of Friday as a precipitation shield develops.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
Some have fashioned makeshift shields from plastic lunch trays.
—David Peisner, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
For today’s pap shield, the actor opted for oversized sunglasses (in this case, square tortoiseshells with sepia lenses from Bottega Veneta) and a dark gray scarf draped over her head.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024
Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
In March, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill into law shielding IVF providers from potential legal liability raised by the court's prior ruling.
—Sara Moniuszko, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
If officials can shield public business done on their personal devices by simply asserting that there’s no enforcement mechanism to get those records, then the 2016 law is essentially toothless.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024
The recent decision in Alabama to shield IVF providers from legal liability illuminates this trend.
—Larada Lee, Essence, 2 Apr. 2024
The settlement also doesn't shield Google from more lawsuits revolving around the same issues covered in the class-action case.
—Michael Liedtke, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
Plus, to shield your head and face from the rain, there's a three-panel hood and peak lapels that can be adjusted with a drawstring and toggle cinch.
—Olivia Avitt, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024
Idaho has on the books a law shielding any identifying information of execution participants from release in court or through public records.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 26 Mar. 2024
Those at the top might be more exposed to AI invasion, though by nature of making executive decisions are likely shielded from true vulnerability.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2024
Noun
At least that was the shield when he was criticized.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 7 Apr. 2024
Fortunately, there's a robust solution to help minimize such interruptions to your computing time: AdGuard.
AdGuard is not only an ad-blocker but also a digital shield for users and their devices.
—Stackcommerce Team, PCMAG, 27 Mar. 2024
Level 14 welding shields are another great way to do it.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 22 Mar. 2024
The shield of mystery around Opus Dei still needs to be fully removed.
—Longreads, 22 Mar. 2024
Rajan Khanna on Dune vs. Dune: Part Two: The first film had to set up a lot of the language, especially if you’re not used to Dune, how the world works, how the technology works, the shields and all that.
—Geek's Guide To The Galaxy, WIRED, 22 Mar. 2024
The northern Plains and Great Lakes will face a swath of snow until the end of Friday as a precipitation shield develops.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
Some have fashioned makeshift shields from plastic lunch trays.
—David Peisner, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
For today’s pap shield, the actor opted for oversized sunglasses (in this case, square tortoiseshells with sepia lenses from Bottega Veneta) and a dark gray scarf draped over her head.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024
Verb
Former President Donald Trump's $175 million bond in his New York civil fraud case may not meet legal requirements for shielding his assets during his appeal, according New York Attorney General Letitia James.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
In March, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill into law shielding IVF providers from potential legal liability raised by the court's prior ruling.
—Sara Moniuszko, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
If officials can shield public business done on their personal devices by simply asserting that there’s no enforcement mechanism to get those records, then the 2016 law is essentially toothless.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024
The recent decision in Alabama to shield IVF providers from legal liability illuminates this trend.
—Larada Lee, Essence, 2 Apr. 2024
The settlement also doesn't shield Google from more lawsuits revolving around the same issues covered in the class-action case.
—Michael Liedtke, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
Plus, to shield your head and face from the rain, there's a three-panel hood and peak lapels that can be adjusted with a drawstring and toggle cinch.
—Olivia Avitt, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024
Idaho has on the books a law shielding any identifying information of execution participants from release in court or through public records.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 26 Mar. 2024
Those at the top might be more exposed to AI invasion, though by nature of making executive decisions are likely shielded from true vulnerability.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shield.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near shield
Cite this Entry
“Shield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shield. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shield
1 of 2 noun1
: a broad piece of armor carried on the arm to protect oneself in battle
2
: something that serves as a defense or protection
3
: the ancient mass of hard rock that forms the core of a continent
shield
2 of 2 verb
: to cover or screen with or as if with a shield
Medical Definition
shield
noun
: a structure, device, or part that serves as a protective cover or barrier
a lead shield to protect against X-rays
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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