a. Something, especially a structure, that provides cover or protection, as from the weather: a shelter for hikers.

b. An institution providing temporary housing and sometimes counseling, as for the homeless, runaways, or victims of domestic violence.

c. An establishment that cares for unwanted or stray animals and tries to find owners for them.

2. The state of being covered or protected: The fox found shelter in a cave.

1. To provide cover or protection for: trees that sheltered the cows; agents who sheltered the spies.

2. To invest (income) to protect it from taxation.

To take cover; find refuge: We sheltered under the store's awning during the storm.

[Perhaps from Middle English sheltron. tight battle formation. from Old English scildtruma. scield. shield ; see shield + truma. troop ; see deru- in Indo-European roots .]

Synonyms: shelter , cover , retreat , refuge , asylum , sanctuary
These nouns refer to places affording protection, as from danger, or to the state of being protected. Shelter usually implies a covered or enclosed area that protects temporarily, as from injury or attack: built a shelter out of pine and hemlock boughs. Cover suggests something that conceals: traveled under cover of darkness. Retreat applies chiefly to a secluded place to which one retires for meditation, peace, or privacy: a rural cabin that served as a weekend retreat. Refuge suggests a place of escape from pursuit or from difficulties that beset one: "The great advantage of a hotel is that it's a refuge from home life" (George Bernard Shaw).
Asylum adds to refuge the idea of legal protection or of immunity from arrest: Were the dissidents able to find asylum in another country? Sanctuary denotes a sacred or inviolable place of refuge: political refugees finding sanctuary in a monastery.

1. something that provides cover or protection, as from weather or danger; place of refuge

2. the protection afforded by such a cover; refuge

3. the state of being sheltered

4. (tr ) to provide with or protect by a shelter

5. (intr ) to take cover, as from rain; find refuge

1. protection against wind, rain, enemies etc. We gave the old man shelter for the night. skuiling مَلجأ، مأوى подслон abrigo ochrana, úkryt das Obdach ly καταφύγιο. άσυλο abrigo vari, ulualune پناهگاه suoja abri מחסה. מקלט रैन बसेरा sklonište, zaklon menedék perlindungan húsaskjól, skÿli riparo 保護 대피소 pastogė, prieglobstis patvērums perlindungan bescherming ly. beskyttelse. tilflukt schronienie سرپټونى، پناګاه، سيب، خزه، دخوندې كيدوځاى abrigo adăpost кров. приют úkryt zaklonišče sklonište skydd, tak över huvudet, husrum ที่กำบัง sığınma. barınma 遮風避雨，保護 притулок; захисток خطرے، پانی، ہوا وغیرہ سے تحفظ sự che chở, sự ẩn náu 保护. 以阻挡（风、雨等）

2. a building etc designed to give such protection. a bus-shelter. halte, skuiling مكان للوقايَه убежище abrigo útulek, chata, přístřeší die Schutzhütte læskur υπόστεγο. σκέπαστρο albergue katusealune جان پناه katos abri סככה आश्रय nadstrešnica, zaštitni krov menedékhely perhentian skÿli riparo pensilina 避難所 거처 priedanga nojume tenpat perlindungan schuilgelegenheid le-/uværsskur schronisko. schron. osłona دخوندې كيدوځاى abrigo adăpost убежище ; автопавильон prístrešok; čakáreň zaklonišče sklonište [regn]skydd, [vänt]kur ที่พัก sığınak 遮蔽處，庇護所 бомбосховище پناہ گاہ chỗ xây để che chắn 隐蔽处，躲避处

1. to be in, or go into, a place of shelter. He sheltered from the storm. skuil يَلجأ، يَحْتَمي، يَخْتَبِئ приютявам (се) abrigar-se ukrýt se Schutz suchen søge ly βρίσκω καταφύγιο, καταφεύγω. προφυλάσσομαι abrigarse. protegerse varjuma به پناهگاه رفتن suojautua se mettre à l'abri לַתֵת מַחֲסֶה शरण लेना skloniti se, tražiti utočište (el)rejtőzik berlindung leita skjóls, vera í skjóli ripararsi 避難する 대피하다 slėptis patverties; paslēpties berlindung schuilen gi/søke ly chronić się ساتل، خوندې كول، پوښل، پناه وركول abrigar-se a se pune la adăpost (de) укрываться, прятаться ukryť sa skriti se zakloniti se ta (söka, vara i) skydd หลบ sığınmak 躲避 сховатися; знайти притулок کسی پناہ گاہ میں جانا tìm chỗ ẩn náu 躲避

2. to give protection. That line of trees shelters my garden. beskerm يَقي، يَحْمي подслонявам proteger chránit schützen skærme προστατεύω proteger. abrigar kaitsma محافظت كردن suojata abriter לְהַגֵן עַל- से रक्षा करना štititi, pružati zaklon oltalmaz memberi perlindungan skÿla, vernda proteggere. riparare 保護する 피난처를 제공하다 dengti, saugoti dot patvērumu; aizsargāt; aizsegt melindungi beschutten beskytte chronić. osłaniać ساتل proteger a adăposti приютить ; укрывать chrániť ščititi zaštititi skydda ให้ที่กำบังแก่ korumak 保護 дати притулок; служити прикриттям تحفظ دینا che chở, bảo vệ 保护

protected from harm and unpleasantness of all kinds. a sheltered existence. beskermd مَحْمي защитен protegido chráněný beschützt beskyttet προφυλαγμένος protegido kaitstud محافظت suojattu protégé מוגן सुरक्षित, परिक्षित zaklonjen, zaštićen védett terlindung varinn protetto 保護された 보호된 apsaugotas, be rūpesčių bezrūpīgs; aprūpēts; nodrošināts terlindung beschermd beskyttet chroniony, pod ochroną ساتل protegido apărat защищённый chránený zaščiten zaštićen skyddad ปกป้อง korunaklı, rahat 受保護的 захищений جسے تحفظ فراہم ہو được che chở, được bảo vệ 受保护的

n refugio, albergue m, centro de acogida (Esp ); battered women's — refugio or albergue para mujeres maltratadas; homeless — refugio or albergue para personas sin hogar; women's — refugio or albergue para mujeres