See Also: shut-out(dictionary)
shut-in(dictionary)
shut-eye(dictionary)
shut-out(dictionary)
shut-in(dictionary)
shut(2)(dictionary)
shut(1)(dictionary)
shut(medicine)
Shut out the book(money)
Shut out the book(finance)

shut(2) (iou)



shut verb. Infl. -tt-. Pa. t. & pple shut.

verb trans. Put (a bar, bolt, etc.) in position so as to fasten a door etc. Cf. SHOOT verb 10. OE-M17.
verb trans. Fasten (a door, chest, etc.) with a lock or bar. ME-E19.
verb trans. Move (a door, window, lid, etc.) into position so as to cover or block an opening. Also (now rare) foll. by up. ME.
W. Cather He shut the gate..with a slam. I. Asimov Daneel closed the door.., sliding it shut carefully. P. Carey He..shut the door on her.
b. verb trans. Block, obstruct, or prevent access through (an opening). Also foll. by up. Now rare. LME.
E. A. Freeman Not a road was shut against him.
c. verb intrans. Of a door etc.: move so as to cover or block an opening; admit of being closed. LME.
J. F. Hendry The roll-top desk would not shut properly.
verb trans. & intrans. Close by folding up or bringing together of parts, esp. those forming an outward covering. Also foll. by up. ME.
D. Hammett She opened her mouth as if to speak, shut it, opened it again. W. Golding He shut the exercise book. A. Schlee She shut her eyes, the better to concentrate.
verb trans. Prevent entry to or exit from (a place or building) by closing the doors or openings; spec. close (a shop or business) for trade. Also foll. by up. See also shut up (c), (d) below. ME.
C. E. Pascoe Bank-Holiday with the shops..shut.
b. verb intrans. Of a place, building, etc., spec. a shop: become closed in this way. E19.
J. Trollope There's the sherry money-sprint, will you or the shops will shut.
verb trans. Enclose, secure, or confine (a person or thing) in or within a place, building, etc., by closing a door or opening; fig. enclose with a barrier, hem in. ME.
D. H. Lawrence A valley..shut in beyond access. G. Greene They were all shut together in a..shed.
b. verb trans. Catch (a finger, garment, etc.) in a door etc. by closing it. L19.
verb trans. Bar or exclude (a person) from an action, possession, etc. LME-M19.
verb trans. Relieve (a person) of a burden. obsolete exc. in be shut of, get shut of below. L15.
b. Spend or waste (money). dial. L18.
verb trans. Weld. Cf. SHOOT verb 29. L15.
Phrases: be shut of, get shut of dial. & colloq. get rid of. keep one's mouth shut: see MOUTH noun. keep one's trap shut: see TRAP noun1. shut a person's mouth: see MOUTH noun. shut it! slang be quiet! shut one's eyes against, shut one's eyes to: see EYE noun. shut one's heart to: see HEART noun. shut one's mind (to): see MIND noun1. shut one's mouth: see MOUTH noun. shut one's pan: see PAN noun1. shut the stable door when the horse has bolted: see STABLE noun1. shut your trap!: see TRAP noun1. with one's eyes shut: see EYE noun.
With adverbs in specialized senses: shut down (a) push or pull (a sash-window etc.) down into a closed position; (b) fig. come down like a lid; (c) stop (a machine, nuclear reactor, factory, etc.) from operating; (d) (of a factory etc.) stop operating. shut in (a) (now rare) = draw in (c) s.v. DRAW verb; (b) rare become cut off from view; (c) stop drawing oil or gas from (a well); (see also sense 6 above). shut off (a) stop the flow of (water, gas, etc.) by shutting a valve; (b) (chiefly US) stop the operation of, turn off; fig. restrict, hinder; (c) cut off or separate from; (d) US cease talking or writing. shut out (a) exclude (a person, light, etc.) from a place; exclude (a person) from a situation; prevent (a possibility etc.); block (esp. a painful memory) from the mind; (b) screen (a landscape etc.) from view; (c) Sport (chiefly N. Amer.) prevent (the opposing team) from scoring. shut to (a) shut (a door); spec. move (a door) into a position so as to be almost shut; (b) (of a door) move into such a position. shut up (a) put (a thing) away in a closed container etc.; (b) imprison; confine to a room etc. by shutting a door; (chiefly Military) confine to a place by cutting off a means of escape; in pass., be closeted with; (c) close all the doors and windows of, bolt and bar, (a house etc.); Agriculture (now rare) close (a field) to pasture, in preparation for a hay crop; (d) shut up shop, close a shop or business for trade; cease trading permanently; (e) close (a box etc.) securely, decisively, or permanently; (f) conclude or bring to an end (a discourse, period of time, etc.); (g) arch. (of a discourse, period of time, etc.) come to an end; (h) colloq. reduce to silence by rebuke etc.; (i) colloq. stop talking (freq. in imper.); (see also senses 3, 5 above).
Comb.: shut-down (a) the closure of a factory etc.; (b) (the time of) the cessation of broadcasting for the day on a particular radio or television station; (c) the cessation of operation of a machine, nuclear reactor, etc.; shut-eye colloq. sleep; shut-off noun & adjective (a) noun the action or an act of shutting off something; a thing which shuts off something, a tap, a valve; (b) adjective that is shut off; shut-up adjective that has been or can be shut up. See also SHUT-IN, SHUT-OUT.