What does shield mean?
A shield is a piece of protective equipment designed to guard the body from blows, projectiles, or other physical attacks. Historically associated with warriors, it may be made from metal, wood, leather, or modern synthetic materials and can be carried, worn, or raised in defense. The word also refers figuratively to any person, institution, device, or arrangement that protects against harm: a policy can shield personal data, while a wealthy relative may act as a shield against financial difficulty. A shield may additionally bear a coat of arms or other identifying emblem, and in cricket the term names the batsman. As a verb, shield means to protect someone or something from danger, injury, scrutiny, or another undesirable influence. In modern usage, both the noun and verb commonly convey the idea of protection rather than the physical equipment alone.
An object held or worn to protect the body from blows, projectiles, or attack; also, a person, thing, or principle that provides protection.
"The castle's thick stone walls served as a shield against enemy attack."
The physical sense has historical and military associations. Figurative uses are common in discussion of law, finance, privacy, insurance, and personal safety.
To protect a person, thing, or group from danger, harm, attack, or scrutiny.
"The canopy shielded the audience from the rain."
Common with from or against. It often describes deliberate protection by a person, institution, or physical barrier.
Use shields for multiple defensive objects, protective devices, heraldic emblems, or cricket players.
"The guards carried brightly painted shields as they entered the courtyard."
From an Old English word for a wooden defensive board, the shield became both a piece of armor and a symbol of protection.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does shield come from?
Shield comes from Old English scield, an Old Germanic word denoting a wooden board or piece of armor used in combat. It was inherited from Proto-Germanic *skildą and belongs to a family of related Germanic words concerned with protection, although many of its closer relatives are no longer standard in modern English. The physical object predates the figurative senses, which developed by extension from the idea of bodily defense to protection in general.
Related word forms
How shield is actually used
In its physical sense, shield is common in historical, military, heraldic, and sporting contexts. The figurative sense, meaning protection or the person or thing providing it, is especially common. The verb is frequently used with from, against, and in constructions such as shield someone from harm.
Easily confused with shield
A shield is a protective object or means of protection, whereas a slight is a comparatively small amount or degree of something.