I. ˈ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷ adjective
Etymology: from past participle of shut in
1. : confined to one's home or an institution by illness or incapacity
made more than 7000 home visits to shut-in boys and girls — Dorothy Barclay
2. : so encompassed as to be confined or cut off
thickly wooded foothills, broken knob country, and narrow valleys have made it … the most shut-in section of the state — American Guide Series: Tennessee
3.
a. : closed in : brooding , secretive
twisted, sad, with a bitter, shut-in face — Claudia Cassidy
assumed the proud, shut-in look with which he guarded himself from doubt — Gordon Merrick
b. : tending to avoid social contact : withdrawn
diagnostic and prognostic significance of the shut-in personality type — S.K.Weinberg
II. ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun
( -s )
1. : an invalid or incapacitated person who is confined to his home, a room, or his bed
through your love of music and your skill you can bring happiness to shut-ins — Girl Scout Handbk.
2. : a narrow gorge-shaped part of an otherwise wide valley
3. : available oil or gas which is not being produced from an existing well