Shielded

How to spell shielded

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce shielded

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does shielded mean?

1. verbProtected someone or something from danger, harm, or unwanted exposure.
2. adjectiveProtected or screened by a barrier, often to block radiation, interference, or unwanted access.

Shielded in a sentence

• verb

  The tall hedge shielded the garden from the worst of the wind.

• adjective

  The data centre uses heavily shielded cables to prevent interference.

• verb

  He shielded his eyes from the glare with one hand.

• adjective

  Technicians work behind a shielded wall when the scanner is active.

Where does shielded come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is the past tense and participle of the verb 'shield', which descends directly from the Old English noun 'scield' (also written 'sceld'), meaning a broad piece of armour carried on the arm to ward off blows. The word is native Germanic, with close cousins in Old Norse 'skjoldr', Dutch 'schild', and German 'Schild', all going back to a root that meant something like a flat board or split plank, since early shields were literally cut from wood. Over time the noun spawned a verb meaning 'to protect or cover', and the modern sense broadened far beyond warfare to cover protecting people, data, or sensitive equipment from harm. The tricky 'ie' spelling reflects the older vowel of 'scield' and follows the familiar 'i before e' pattern that also gives us 'field' and 'yield'. Because the base word keeps its silent inner shape so cleanly, the only real job in 'shielded' is remembering to keep that 'ie' in order and add the regular '-ed' ending.

How the word is built

• shield (a protective cover or barrier)
• -ed (past tense / adjectival suffix)