shelf
A flat board on a wall or in a cupboard where you keep things.
A flat, usually horizontal board fixed to a wall or inside a piece of furniture, used for storing or displaying objects.
A flat area of rock or ice that comes out from a cliff or the land, often near the sea or under the water.
A narrow, fairly flat area of rock, sand, or ice that sticks out from a cliff, shore, or mountainside, sometimes just below the surface of the water.
The wide, shallow area of the sea floor around a continent, before the water becomes very deep.
The part of the seabed that forms the shallow, submerged border of a continent, extending from the coastline to where the sea floor begins to slope steeply down into the deep ocean.
A way of talking about a plan or idea that is not active now and is not being used or developed.
A figurative place where plans, ideas, or activities are left when they are not being continued, used, or developed.
- Base: shelf
- Plural: shelves
fly off the shelves
1sell extremely quickly
To sell very quickly in large numbers.
- The new smartphone is flying off the shelves.
- Tickets for the concert flew off the shelves as soon as they went on sale.
- During the holiday season, popular toys fly off the shelves.
off the shelf
1ready-made, not custom-made
Ready-made and easy to buy, not made specially for one person or company.
- They used off-the-shelf software instead of building their own system.
- The dress wasn’t custom-made; she bought it off the shelf.
- We need an off-the-shelf solution that we can deploy quickly.
on the shelf
1not being used or wanted
Not being used, active, or wanted now, especially for a plan, idea, or product.
- The new tax proposal is on the shelf until after the election.
- His novel sat on the shelf for years before a publisher finally accepted it.
- Sales of the product were so low that it ended up back on the shelf.
put on the shelf
1delay or stop a plan or idea
To stop working on a plan, idea, or project and not use it for some time.
- The company put the expansion plans on the shelf after profits fell.
- The government has put the reform package on the shelf for now.
- They decided to put the marketing campaign on the shelf until the economy improves.
shelf life
1time something stays usable in storage
The time a food or product stays good and safe to use while it is stored.
- Fresh milk has a much shorter shelf life than powdered milk.
- Check the label to see the shelf life of these tablets.
- Digital products don’t spoil, but ideas can have a limited shelf life.
take off the shelf
1resume using something inactive
To start using or working on a plan, idea, or product again after it has not been used.
- After several years, they took the old design off the shelf and updated it.
- The bill was taken off the shelf and finally brought to a vote.
- We might take the project off the shelf if we find new funding.
top shelf
1of the best or premium quality
Of the best quality and usually more expensive than others, especially for alcohol in a bar.
- He only orders top-shelf whiskey when he goes out.
- The bar keeps the top-shelf spirits behind the counter.
- We splurged on a bottle from their top-shelf collection.