plural shields
1
: a broad piece of defensive armor carried on the arm
2
: something or someone that protects or defends : defense
A healthy lifestyle may act as a shield against preventable diseases.
3
a
: a device or part that serves as a protective cover or barrier
They were covered head to toe in protective gear—rubber boots, gowns, aprons, gloves, masks, head caps and plastic eye shields.—
Blaine Harden
see also dress shield, face shield, heat shield, windshield
Blaine Harden
b
: a protective structure (such as a carapace, scale, or plate) of some animals
4
: escutcheon
especially
: one that is wide at the top and rounds to a point at the bottom
5
: the Precambrian nuclear mass of a continent that is surrounded and sometimes covered by sedimentary rocks
6
: something resembling a shield: such as
a
b
: a police officer's badge
c
: a decorative or identifying emblem
shielded; shielding; shields
1
a
: to protect with or as if with a shield : provide with a protective cover or shelter
b
: to cut off from observation : hide
2
obsolete
: forbid
shielder
noun
Examples of shield in a Sentence
Noun
the heat shield on a space shuttle
the slightly built boy used his sharp wit as a shield against the school's bullies
Verb
celebrities who are shielded by a cluster of bodyguards whenever they appear in public
she shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand
Recent Examples on the Web
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025
The copper radiation shield cools the atoms to –148 degrees Fahrenheit (–100 degrees Celsius).
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2025
N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Paxton’s lawsuit also claims that Kenvue was created to shield Johnson & Johnson from liability over Tylenol.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shield
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Noun
The violations identified for each agency focus on the body armor and ballistic shield used by Rodarte during the operation at an Olivehurst home where he was killed, and training and safety measures related to the operation.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025
The copper radiation shield cools the atoms to –148 degrees Fahrenheit (–100 degrees Celsius).
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
The suit also claims Johnson & Johnson broke the law by transferring liability to Kenvue, which spun off in 2023, to shield their assets against lawsuits.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Paxton’s lawsuit also claims that Kenvue was created to shield Johnson & Johnson from liability over Tylenol.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shield
Cite this Entry
“Shield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shield. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shield
1 of 2 noun1
: a broad piece of armor carried on the arm to protect oneself in battle
2
: something that serves as a defense or protection
3
: the ancient mass of hard rock that forms the core of a continent
shield
2 of 2 verb
: to cover or screen with or as if with a shield
Medical Definition
shield
noun
: a structure, device, or part that serves as a protective cover or barrier
a lead shield to protect against X-rays
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