verb

shelve

SHELV/ʃelv/

To put something on a shelf.

The woman shelves the closed folder above the desk.

Woman deliberately moves closed project folder away from active desk onto separate high shelf while active task remains on desk; small clock icon on folder signals postponement, no words, no room backdrop.

Etymology

shelveEnglishhorizontal support for objects

Probably formed from the plural of shelf, the verb came to mean putting something on a shelf. That physical act became an image for setting a matter aside rather than dealing with it.

In context

Nate Hagens79:29

let's just shelve that one entirely. I'm not talking about what we find beautiful. I'm talking about the fact that there is beauty at all

The Counterintuitive Need to Slow Down and Find Spaciousness with Iain McGilchrist | TGS 217

More examples

Please shelve the clean dishes above the sink.
We shelved the paint cans in the garage.
She is shelving the new stock before the store opens.

Forms

shelve · shelves · shelved · shelving

shelf noun — A flat board used to hold objects.

Similar words

put: Put describes placement anywhere, not specifically on a shelf.
store: Store emphasizes keeping things for later use, not shelf placement.