/ ʃiːld; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
a large piece of metal or leather carried by soldiers in the past to protect the body when fighting
2.
= riot shield
3.
a person or thing used to protect sb/sth, especially by forming a barrier :
The gunman used the hostages as a human shield .
Water is not an effective shield against the sun's more harmful rays.
She hid her true feelings behind a shield of cold indifference.
4.
a plate or screen that protects a machine or the person using it from damage or injury
5.
an object in the shape of a shield, given as a prize in a sports competition, etc.
6.
a drawing or model of a shield showing a coat of arms
7.
( NAmE ) a police officer's badge
■ verb [ vn ]
1.
shield sb/sth (from sb/sth) to protect sb/sth from danger, harm or sth unpleasant :
I shielded my eyes against the glare.
The ozone layer shields the earth from the sun's ultraviolet rays.
Police believe that somebody is shielding the killer.
You can't shield her from the truth forever.
2.
to put a shield around a piece of machinery, etc. in order to protect the person using it
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English scild (noun), scildan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schild and German Schild , from a base meaning divide, separate.