Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Origin: shelves, plural of shelf

shelve

 verb
     
shelve
1 [transitive] to decide not to continue with a plan, idea etc, although you might continue with it at a later time:
Plans to reopen the school have been shelved.
2 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] land that shelves is at a slight angle:
The garden shelves gently towards the sea.
3 [transitive] to put something on a shelf, especially books
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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