shutter

Everyday

1. A shutter is a wooden or metal cover on a window that you open and close to keep out light, wind or burglars. tree →
2. In a camera, the shutter is the tiny part that opens for a moment to let light in when you take a photo. tree →
3. To shutter a shop or business is to close it, often for good. tree →
4. A shop shutter is a metal roll-down cover on a shop front. tree →

In the lessons

Everyday: houses in hot countries often have shutters to keep rooms cool. In science lessons about light and cameras, the shutter controls how long light comes in. In news, «shuttered» shops have closed. In stories, banging shutters tell the reader there is a storm or a spooky house.

Examples

• Grandma closes the shutters when the sun is hot. tree →
• The shutters banged in the wind all night. tree →
• Press the button and the camera shutter clicks. tree →
• A fast shutter can photograph a running dog without blur. tree →
• The shopkeeper pulled down the metal shutter at six. tree →
• Many shops on the high street are shuttered now. tree →
• Green shutters made the cottage look pretty. tree →
• The shutters outside the windows were closed, but lights shone through the crevices at the top. tree →

Note

Countable: one shutter, two shutters; often plural for a pair on one window. Regular verb: shuttered. Do not confuse with «shudder» (to shake from fear or cold), which sounds almost the same.