shutter

1 of 2

noun

shut·​ter ˈshə-tər 

1

: one that shuts

2

: a usually movable cover or screen for a window or door

3

: a mechanical device that limits the passage of light

especially : a camera component that allows light to enter by opening and closing an aperture

4

: the movable louvers in a pipe organ by which the swell box is opened

shutterless

ˈshə-tər-ləs 

adjective

shutter

2 of 2

verb

shuttered; shuttering; shutters

transitive verb

1

: to close by or as if by shutters

corporations shuttering their production plants

2

: to furnish with shutters

Examples of shutter in a Sentence

Verb

They locked the doors and shuttered the windows.

They declared bankruptcy and shuttered the store.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

If using a regular camera, Adobe suggests setting the focus to the farthest possible setting with a wide aperture, lower shutter speed and a high ISO value. —Ty Roush, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

My father jumped out of bed, opened the rain shutters, and stepped into the garden. —Yukio Mishima, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2024

Verb

Many districts traditionally shutter on Election Day, as schools are typically used as polling locations for many homes in the surrounding area. —Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 4 Nov. 2024

Last year, Silicon Valley pizza-making startup Zume shuttered after raising $450 million from SoftBank's Vision Fund and other investors. —Queenie Wong Los Angeles Times (tns), arkansasonline.com, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

shutter

1 of 2 noun

shut·​ter ˈshət-ər 

1

: a movable cover for a window that swings on hinges like a door

2

: a device in a camera that opens to allow light to enter when a picture is taken

shutter

2 of 2 verb

: to close with or by shutters

kept the house shuttered