What does "shutter" mean?
One who shuts or closes something.
Shutter
/ˈʃʌt.ə/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who shuts or closes something.
- Grammar: shutter is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: blind, canopy, close, close up.
- Useful contrasts: open, openness, reopen.
- Usage evidence: Hold the button down until you hear the shutter make a clicking sound.
How to use "shutter"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "shutter" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "shutter" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "shutter" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "shutter" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "shutter" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "blind" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "shutter", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who shuts or closes something.
"the openers and shutters of the sluices we believe are basic to the history of mind"
- 2 a hinged blind for a window wordnet
- 3 Protective panels, usually wooden, placed over windows to block out the light. plural-normally
- 4 a mechanical device on a camera that opens and closes to control the time of a photographic exposure wordnet
- 5 The part of a camera, normally closed, that opens for a controlled period of time to let light in when taking a picture.
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Any other opening and closing device.
"A service hatch with sliding shutter is situated at the end of the kitchen next to the dining compartment. […] A shutter, in three parts, is fitted, which when lowered completely encloses the bar."
Verb
- 1 To close shutters covering. transitive
"Shutter the windows: there's a storm coming!"
- 2 close with shutters wordnet
- 3 To close up (a building) for a prolonged period of inoccupancy. figuratively, transitive
"It took all day to shutter the cabin now that the season has ended."
- 4 To cancel or terminate. transitive
"The US is seeking to get Iran to shutter its nuclear weapons program."
- 5 To rain heavily.
"Mollie Wilson was a teenager living with her parents in Donaghmore in Tyrone, Northern Ireland [and said this]: 3rd September [1939] When Chamberlain made his declaration of war, there was violent thunder and lightning and rain shuttered down. I had always trusted rain too."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Antonyms
Example
"Hold the button down until you hear the shutter make a clicking sound."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "shutter"?
Common synonyms include: blind, canopy, close, close up, cover, curtain.
How do you use "shutter" in a sentence?
Hold the button down until you hear the shutter make a clicking sound.
How do you pronounce "shutter"?
Pronounced /ˈʃʌt.ə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From shut + -er. Compare shuttle.
Etymology 2
Two main origins: * Occupational surname for a marksman, from an agent derivative of Middle English shoten (“to shoot”). * An Americanized spelling of Schutter.