shelters

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of shelter.

   Volunteers stocked the mountain shelters with firewood and blankets before winter.

   Animal shelters across the region reported a sharp rise in adoptions.

   Note

   Only the countable meanings take this plural: a cave or lean-to, an underground bunker, a refuge for people in need, an animal shelter. Shelter as cover in general stays uncountable, so travelers seek shelter, not shelters, from the rain. The spelling is shared with the verb's present-tense form. An article, number or modifier in front (two shelters, the shelters, mountain shelters) marks the noun.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of shelter.

   A row of tall pines shelters the cottage from the worst of the gales.

   The charity shelters hundreds of stray dogs through the coldest months.

   Note

   The verb works in two directions. With an object, the subject does the protecting: a row of pines shelters the cottage from the gales, with the danger usually introduced by from. Without an object, the subject is the one taking cover: a hiker shelters under a ledge until the rain passes. To tell which meaning you have, look for an object after the verb.

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