shield´er

shield «sheeld», noun, verb.

–n.

1. a piece of armor carried on the arm or in the hand to protect the body in battle, used in ancient and medieval warfare.

2. anything used to protect: »

He turned up his collar as a shield against the cold wind. A heavy face shield protects a welder's face and eyes from being burned.Figurative. Active French forces in the Allied “shield” in Europe now stand officially at four divisions (New York Times).

3. something shaped like a shield.

4. a covering for moving parts of machinery.

5. a) any substance to protect against exposure to radiation, especially in nuclear reactors, such as lead or water. b) a barrier built out of one of these substances.

6. a) a framework pushed ahead in a tunnel to prevent the earth from caving in while the tunnel is being lined. b) a movable framework protecting a miner at his work.

7. a steel screen or plate, such as that attached to a cannon or howitzer, to protect something, such as a crew or a mechanism.

8. a) a policeman's badge. b) = escutcheon. (Cf. ↑escutcheon)

9. a piece of fabric, often rubberized, worn inside a dress at the armpit.

10. Zoology. a protective plate covering a part on the body of an animal, such as a scute, or carapace.

–v.t.

1. to be a shield to; protect; defend; shelter: »

to shield the child from attack by the savage watchdog, to shield a criminal. Her hat shielded her eyes from the sun.Figurative. His mother shielded him from punishment.

2. Obsolete. to avert; prevent.

–v.i.

to act or serve as a shield.

╂[Old English sceld, scield]

–shield´er, noun.

–shield´like´, adjective.