English · Word Candidate

shield

/ˈʃiːld/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: shields · shielding · shielded

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Anything that protects or defends; defense; shelter; protection. — A broad piece of defensive armor, held in hand, formerly in general use in war, for the protection of the body.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Bất cứ thứ gì bảo vệ hoặc phòng thủ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

Knock go and come; God's vassals drop and die; And sword and shield, In bloody field, Doth win immortal fame.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Anything that protects or defends; defense; shelter; protection. — One who protects or defends.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Bất cứ thứ gì bảo vệ hoặc phòng thủ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To protect, to defend.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Bảo vệ, phòng thủ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

Sunscreen shields against the harmful effects of solar rays.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To shelter; to protect oneself.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Che chở, tự bảo vệ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

VerbRegister: UK

Examples

The government has updated its guidance for people who are shielding taking into account that COVID-19 disease levels have decreased over the last few weeks.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “shield” mean?

Anything that protects or defends; defense; shelter; protection. — A broad piece of defensive armor, held in hand, formerly in general use in war, for the protection of the body.

Is “shield” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.