WordofTheDay.US

Added 9 October 2026

shield

/ˈʃiːld/ noun

Categories: ThingsAnimalsUncommon Words

In Latin: scutum, clipeus, parma Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about shield at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. A protective covering or structure.
  2. Armor carried on the arm to intercept blows.
  3. Hard outer covering or case of certain organisms such as arthropods and turtles.

verb

  1. Protect, hide, or conceal from danger or harm.
  2. Hold back a thought or feeling about.
    She is harboring a grudge against him

Origin

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”). Cognates Cognate with West Frisian skyld (“shield”), Bavarian Schuid (“shield”), Dutch schild (“shield”), German and Low German Schild (“shield”), Luxembourgish Schëld (“shield”), Yiddish שילד (shild, “shield”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk skjold (“shield”), Elfdalian stjöld (“shield”), Faroese skjøldur (“shield”), Gutnish skiåld (“shield”), Icelandic skjöldur (“shield”), Swedish sköld (“shield”), Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌹𐌻𐌳𐌿𐍃 (skildus, “shield”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Related Words: bucklerscreenharborharbourarmouredarmorbreastplateribbonvisorcoatcloakovercoat

Back to today's word