shelter

1.nounB1

Definition

a structure or place designed to keep people, animals, or belongings safe from weather conditions, physical threats, or harm

Example

The hikers found a small stone shelter when the sudden storm hit the mountain.

concrete noun: a physical structure against weather

Kwame volunteers at an animal shelter that rescues abandoned dogs and cats.

common compound: animal shelter

Common collocations

emergency shelter
temporary shelter
animal shelter
homeless shelter
bus shelter
bomb shelter
storm shelter

Synonyms

refuge
stronger connotation of escaping danger or pursuit, not just weather
haven
more literary; suggests a peaceful, safe place
sanctuary
implies official protection, often for animals or refugees

Antonyms

exposure
the state of being unprotected and vulnerable to the elements or danger

Grammar Patterns

shelter + for + noun phrase

Usage Note

Countable noun. Often used in compounds with a purpose word: animal shelter, homeless shelter, bomb shelter, bus shelter. The building type varies widely from a simple roofed structure (bus shelter) to a full facility (homeless shelter).

Common Mistakes

I looked for shelters under a tree.

I looked for shelter under a tree.

When you mean the state of being protected, shelter is uncountable. The countable noun refers to a specific building or structure.

She works at a shelter for animals.

She works at an animal shelter.

The compound form animal shelter is the standard collocation in English.

2.nounB1

Definition

the situation of being in a covered or protected place where weather or danger cannot reach you

Example

The refugees walked for three days before they found shelter in a border town.

collocation: find shelter

Mira and her brother took shelter under an oak tree when the rain began.

collocation: take shelter under [something]

Common collocations

take shelter
seek shelter
find shelter
offer shelter
provide shelter
give shelter
shelter from the storm

Synonyms

protection
broader meaning; shelter specifically implies a physical location or cover
cover
informal; focuses on being shielded from above, especially from weather
refuge
implies escaping a more serious danger

Antonyms

danger
the state of being at risk
exposure
being unprotected from weather or harm

Grammar Patterns

shelter + from + noun phrase

take + shelter

seek + shelter

find + shelter

Usage Note

Uncountable in this sense — do not use a or an. Common verb partners are take, seek, find, offer, provide, give. The noun phrase after from names what is being escaped (the rain, the fighting, the heat).

Common Mistakes

They took a shelter from the storm.

They took shelter from the storm.

When shelter means 'being protected,' it is uncountable and does not take a or an.

We found shelter of the rain.

We found shelter from the rain.

The preposition is from, not of, because you are being protected from something.

1.verbtransitiveB1

Definition

to keep a person, animal, or thing safe from weather conditions, danger, or harm by placing them in a protected location

Example

The old oak tree sheltered the picnickers from the hot afternoon sun.

shelter + object + from + [weather]

Beatrix sheltered her puppy under her jacket during the sudden hailstorm.

Common collocations

shelter from the rain
shelter from the wind
shelter from the sun
shelter behind a wall
shelter under a tree

Synonyms

protect
broader; shelter implies physically putting someone in a covered place
shield
emphasises blocking something coming at you; more active
cover
informal; putting something over or above to protect

Antonyms

expose
to leave someone unprotected and vulnerable

Grammar Patterns

shelter + noun phrase + from + noun phrase

shelter + from + noun phrase (intransitive)

be sheltered + by/from + noun phrase

Usage Note

Can be transitive (She sheltered the children) or intransitive (They sheltered in a cave). The passive form is common with by (agent) or from (threat). Subject can be a person, an animal, or even a thing (the tree, the wall).

2.verbtransitiveB2

Definition

to hide a person in a secret place so that the authorities, the army, or other people who are looking for them cannot find them

Example

During the war, the farmer sheltered three families in his basement for two years.

shelter + person + in + location + for + duration

Chidi was arrested for sheltering a fugitive in his apartment near the docks.

shelter + a fugitive / a wanted person

Common collocations

shelter a fugitive
shelter a refugee
shelter someone from the authorities
shelter someone from the police

Synonyms

hide
more general; shelter implies you are the provider of the hiding place
harbour
stronger connotation of illegality or moral duty; more formal
conceal
more formal; emphasises keeping someone secret

Antonyms

betray
to hand someone over to the authorities who are looking for them
expose
to reveal someone's location to pursuers

Grammar Patterns

shelter + noun phrase (person being hidden)

Usage Note

This sense carries a legal or moral weight — the person being hidden is usually wanted by authorities. It is often used in historical or news contexts. The preposition used for the hiding place is in (in a basement, in a closet, in a village).

3.verbintransitiveB2

Definition

to stay inside the building you are currently in because leaving would put you in danger when there is an emergency — for instance, a shooting, a chemical spill, or a severe storm

Example

The principal told everyone to shelter in place until the tornado warning was lifted.

collocation: shelter in place — fixed phrase for emergencies

Jessica heard the emergency sirens and decided to shelter in place in her office.

Common collocations

shelter in place
order to shelter in place
shelter-in-place order
shelter in place during a tornado

Synonyms

take cover
broader; can mean getting to any safe spot, not necessarily staying where you are
lock down
used for security threats like shootings; implies locking doors as well

Grammar Patterns

shelter in place

Usage Note

Nearly always used as the fixed phrase shelter in place — especially in American English emergency announcements. Unlike other senses of shelter, there is no object and no from-phrase. The verb is intransitive and the focus is on staying where you already are.

4.verbintransitiveB2

Definition

to remain at home during a disease outbreak and to go out only for essential tasks such as buying food or getting medical help

Example

Kwame sheltered at home for six weeks when the flu epidemic swept through the city.

shelter at home + for + duration

The government asked everyone over sixty-five to shelter at home during the outbreak.

Common collocations

shelter at home
shelter in place
shelter during an epidemic
shelter during a pandemic

Synonyms

self-isolate
medical term; implies avoiding contact to prevent disease spread
stay at home
simpler, everyday English; less formal than shelter at home

Grammar Patterns

shelter at home

shelter in + place (e.g. your home)

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 3 (shelter in place). Sense 3 is for acute, short emergencies (storms, shootings). Sense 4 is for sustained periods during disease outbreaks, and the focus is on reducing social contact rather than avoiding an immediate physical danger. Often appears as shelter at home.

5.verbtransitiveC1

Definition

to arrange your income, investments, or profits legally so that you pay less tax or no tax on them

Example

The company sheltered a large part of its profits in an overseas subsidiary.

shelter + profits + in + [location/structure]

Mira's accountant advised her to shelter some of her income using a retirement account.

shelter + income + using + [method]

Common collocations

shelter income
shelter profits
shelter earnings
shelter money from tax
shelter funds in an offshore account
tax-sheltered investment

Synonyms

shield (from tax)
similar meaning, less formal
protect (from tax)
broader; shelter is the standard financial term

Grammar Patterns

shelter + noun phrase (income/profits) + from + tax/taxation

shelter + income/profits

Usage Note

This is a technical financial sense. The object is always financial: income, profits, earnings, investments, money. From names the tax being avoided. The activity is legal (tax avoidance), unlike tax evasion which is illegal. The compound noun tax shelter is more common than the verb in everyday speech.

Word family

sheltered
adjectiveB2
sheltering
adjectiveB2
shelterless
adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Shelter, protect, shield, and cover all involve keeping someone safe, but differ in how. Shelter means putting someone in a physical place — a building, a spot under a tree, any location that blocks the threat. Protect is the broadest word and can be physical or abstract (protect a secret, protect someone's feelings); it does not require a specific location. Shield emphasises actively blocking something that is coming at the target — like holding up a shield — and can be literal (shield your eyes from the sun) or figurative (shield a child from bad news). Cover is the most informal and usually means putting something over or above to block weather or view (cover your head with a jacket). In everyday English, shelter is best when a real place or structure is involved: 'We sheltered in a cave' sounds natural, but 'We protected in a cave' does not. Use protect for general safety, shield for an active blocking motion, and cover for a quick improvised solution.

shelter ↗protect ↗shield ↗cover ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

take shelter
seek shelter
find shelter
offer shelter
provide shelter
shelter in place
shelter from the storm

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Shelter comes from Middle English sheltron, meaning a body of soldiers formed in a tight protective formation, like a shield wall. This word was formed in Old English from scield ('shield') and truma ('troop' or 'body of soldiers'). Over time the military meaning faded, and by the 1500s the word referred to any structure that provides protection from weather or danger. The shift from 'protective group of people' to 'protective building or place' reflects how the idea of being surrounded and kept safe transferred from a human formation to a physical structure.

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shelter

shelter — noun

1. a structure or place designed to keep people, animals, or belongings safe from w

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. the situation of being in a covered or protected place where weather or danger c

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

shelter — verb

1. to keep a person, animal, or thing safe from weather conditions, danger, or harm

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

2. to hide a person in a secret place so that the authorities, the army, or other p

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

3. to stay inside the building you are currently in because leaving would put you i

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

4. to remain at home during a disease outbreak and to go out only for essential tas

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

5. to arrange your income, investments, or profits legally so that you pay less tax

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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