off the shelf

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shelf

(shĕlf)

n. pl. shelves (shĕlvz)

a. A flat, usually rectangular structure composed of a rigid material, such as wood, glass, or metal, fixed at right angles to a wall or other vertical surface and used to hold or store objects.

b. The contents or capacity of such a structure.

c. Something, such as a projecting ledge of rock or a balcony, that resembles such a structure.

2. A reef, sandbar, or shoal.

3. Bedrock.

Idioms:

off the shelf

From ready-made merchandise in stock: supplies that were available off the shelf.

on the shelf

1. In a state of disuse or inactivity: The injured goalie has been on the shelf for weeks.

2. Out of consideration: The finance bill is on the shelf until next year.

[Middle English, probably from Middle Low German schelf; see skel- in Indo-European roots.]

shelf′ful′ n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

off the shelf

adv

(Commerce) from stock and readily available: you can have this model off the shelf.

adj (off-the-shelf when prenominal)

1. (Commerce) of or relating to a product that is readily available: an off-the-shelf model.

2. (Commerce) of or denoting a company that has been registered with the Registrar of Companies for the sole purpose of being sold

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

The vases fell off the mantelpiece, the canisters fell off the shelf; the kettle fell off the hob.

View in context

Products can be supplied off the shelf, made to order and custom-made, giving clinicians and patients a huge range of choices and options of garments.

Haddenham healthcare in NZ

Through the Off the Shelf event, Peacock Keller helped to raise more than $30,000 for 20 libraries in Southwestern Pennsylvania's Washington, Greene and Fayette counties.

Peacock Keller-Presented 5th Annual "Off the Shelf... A Celebration of Books" Event Raising More Than $30,000 to Benefit Southwestern Pennsylvania Libraries

The successful Off the Shelf Chocolate range from Cargill's cocoa & chocolate business is now available with the UTZ Certified label--which for the first time brings certified sustainable chocolate within reach of customers using smaller amounts of chocolate.

Off the Shelf Chocolate

"As soon as the berries came in, they flew off the shelf," says a salesperson at the supermarket.

berry good hybrids

New doors can be bought straight off the shelf at B&Q...

Up to 4 days.

INTERNATIONALLY renown Colne Valley poet Simon Armitage (pictured) launched the 19th Off the Shelf festival of writing and reading in Sheffield.