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shield
shield / shēld/ • n. 1. a broad piece of metal or another suitable material, held by straps or a handle attached on one side, used as a protection against blows or missiles. 2. something shaped like a shield, in particular: ∎ a police officer's badge. ∎ Heraldry a stylized representation of a shield used for displaying a coat of arms. ∎ Geol. a large rigid area of the earth's crust, typically of Precambrian rock, that has been unaffected by later orogenic episodes, e.g., the Canadian Shield. 3. a person or thing providing protection: a protective coating of grease provides a shield against abrasive dirt. ∎ a protective plate or screen on machinery or equipment. ∎ a device or material that prevents or reduces the emission of light or other radiation. ∎ short for dress shield. ∎ a hard flat or convex part of an animal, esp. a shell. • v. [tr.] protect (someone or something) from a danger, risk, or unpleasant experience: he pulled the cap lower to shield his eyes from the glare these people have been completely shielded from economic forces. ∎ prevent from being seen: the rocks she sat behind shielded her from the lodge. ∎ enclose or screen (a piece of machinery) to protect the user. ∎ prevent or reduce the escape of sound, light, or other radiation from (something): uranium shutters shield the cobalt radioactive source. DERIVATIVES: shield·less adj. ORIGIN: Old English scild (noun), scildan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schild and German Schild, from a base meaning ‘divide, separate.’ |
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Cite this article
"shield." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "shield." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-shield.html "shield." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-shield.html |
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shield
shield piece of defensive armor , worn on the arm or shoulder to ward off weapons during combat, used prior to the dominance of gunpowder. Originally for individual defense during hand-to-hand combat, it is the most primitive and universal item of defensive armor. Shields were made of hide or wood, often reinforced with metal, and could be round, oblong, or rectangular. As armies developed, soldiers carried matching shields to link together for fighting in formations, such as those used by Assyria (2500 BC). A soldier's body armor complemented his shield. Heavy infantry carried larger shields than did skirmishers, cavalry carried smaller shields, and bowmen often carried none. Modern riot police carry plastic shields for protection. |
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Cite this article
"shield." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "shield." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-shield1.html "shield." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-shield1.html |
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shield
shield in the Middle Ages the armorial bearings of a knight were depicted on his shield; decorated shields, made for display rather than use, were often hung on walls in churches or other buildings as a memorial of a knight or noble. The word is recorded from Old English (in form scild) and is of Germanic origin; it comes ultimately from a base meaning ‘divide, separate’.
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Cite this article
ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "shield." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "shield." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-shield.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "shield." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-shield.html |
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shield
shield article of defensive armour; (fig.) protection, OE. sċ(i)eld = OS., OHG. scild (Du., G. schild), ON. skjǫldr, Goth. skildus — Gmc. *skelduz, prob. orig. ‘board’ and so f. base *skel-divide, separate (cf. SCALE1).
Hence vb. OE. sċeldan, sċildan. |
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T. F. HOAD. "shield." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "shield." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-shield.html T. F. HOAD. "shield." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-shield.html |
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shield
shield
1. A tunnel borer consisting of a conventional shield with thrust rams and erector system. The cutter head and support are inside the shield. This type of machine is usually employed in soils or variable materials, e.g. a sand—rock—gravel sequence. 2. See CRATON. |
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "shield." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "shield." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-shield.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "shield." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-shield.html |
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shield
shield in geology: see continent . |
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Cite this article
"shield." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "shield." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-shield2.html "shield." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-shield2.html |
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shield
shield
•Schwarzwald • Buchenwald
•beheld, eld, geld, held, meld, self-propelled, upheld, weld, withheld
•Ziegfeld • unparalleled • spot-weld
•unscaled
•afield, field, midfield, misfield, shield, unaneled, unconcealed, unhealed, unpeeled, unrevealed, unsealed, wield, yield
•backfield • battlefield • Mansfield
•Garfield • Sheffield • Lee-Enfield
•airfield • Wakefield • Masefield
•Greenfield • Lichfield • brickfield
•Springfield • Smithfield • minefield
•cornfield • brownfield • outfield
•snowfield
•coalfield, goldfield, Sutton Coldfield
•oilfield • Bloomfield • Nuffield
•upfield • Huddersfield • Sellafield
•chesterfield • windshield
•gumshield
•build, deskilled, gild, guild, self-willed, sild, unfilled, unfulfilled, unskilled, untilled, upbuild
•Brunhild • Roskilde
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Cite this article
"shield." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "shield." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-shield.html "shield." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-shield.html |
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