Shelter Is Protection, and Also the Place That Gives It
A shelter is a structure giving protection. The word covers bus stops, air raids, animal homes and emergency housing.
A shelter is something that protects from weather or danger, and shelter is the protection itself. It is one of the four things usually listed as basic human needs, alongside food, water and clothing, which is why housing charities and emergency agencies use the word so heavily.
- A structure giving protection. *A bus shelter.*
- Protection. *Take shelter.*
- A refuge for people or animals. *A dog shelter.*
- To protect. *Trees shelter the garden.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | shelter | Emergency shelter. |
| Plural | shelters | Air raid shelters. |
| Verb | shelter | Shelter from the rain. |
| Adjective | sheltered | A sheltered spot. |
| Compound | sheltered housing | Sheltered housing schemes. |
How it is used in a sentence
- They took shelter under the arch.Take shelter, no article.
- The wall shelters the seedlings.The verb.
- A sheltered upbringing.Protected from difficulty, and mildly critical.
Kinds of shelter
- Bus shelter — the roofed stop
- Air raid shelter — wartime protection from bombing
- Animal shelter — a rescue centre
- Emergency shelter — temporary accommodation after disaster
- Sheltered housing — independent flats with support on site
Probably from Middle English *sheltron*, a shield formation of troops, from Old English *scield*, shield, and *truma*, a troop — protection made of overlapping shields.
Shelter or refuge?
A shelter protects from weather or danger generally. A refuge protects from a specific threat, and often means a safe house.
What is sheltered housing?
Self-contained homes, usually for older people, with a scheme manager and emergency call systems on site.