Meaning & use
shelf
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A flat, often horizontal surface used to store or display objects, typically attached to a wall or part of a piece of furniture.
See it in a sentence
He placed the trophy on the top shelf of the bookcase.
The continental shelf extends far into the ocean before dropping off sharply.
A note on using this word
The geological sense, as in 'continental shelf,' refers to a shallow, relatively flat underwater extension of a continent.
Another way to use it
2. noun
A shallow underwater extension of land bordering a continent.
Fishing boats rarely venture past the edge of the continental shelf.
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