shield

1 of 2

noun

ˈshēld 

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

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

: apothecium

b

: a police officer's badge

c

: a decorative or identifying emblem

shield

2 of 2

verb

shielded; shielding; shields

transitive verb

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

Noun

• aegis
• egis
• ammunition
• armor
• buckler
• cover
• defense
• guard
• protection
• safeguard
• screen
• security
• wall
• ward

Verb

• bulwark
• cover
• defend
• fence
• fend
• forfend
• guard
• keep
• protect
• safeguard
• screen
• secure
• ward

Choose the Right Synonym for shield

defend, protect, shield, guard, safeguard mean to keep secure from danger or against attack.

defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack.

defend the country

protect implies the use of something (such as a covering) as a bar to the admission or impact of what may attack or injure.

a hard hat to protect your head

shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack.

shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand

guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger.

White House entrances are well guarded

safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger.

our civil liberties must be safeguarded

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 Web

Noun

Whipps’ request for the U.S. to install a permanent Patriot missile shield has stalled, after Palau’s Senate passed a resolution rejecting it. —Reuters, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024

The ozone layer, a critical atmospheric shield, protects Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. —Tom Howarth follow, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

Verb

Then, about 15 years ago, immigrant rights activists pushed back, organizing campaigns to shield migrants from the raids and galvanizing support to repeal the anti-immigration laws. —Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 4 Nov. 2024

Berry also found about 100 burn marks on the walls, which were meant to shield the building from fire. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sheld, from Old English scield; akin to Old High German scilt shield and probably to Old English sciell shell

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing shield

• dress shield
• face shield
• heat shield
• human shield
• shield against
• shield law
• shield volcano
• water shield

Kids Definition

shield

1 of 2 noun

ˈshē(ə)ld 

1

: 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

ˈshēld 

: a structure, device, or part that serves as a protective cover or barrier

a lead shield to protect against X-rays