You’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for September 4.

World Samosa Day

Today’s word is shelf, spelled shelf.

shelf /ʃelf/ noun

ˌoff-the-ˈshelf adjective

already made and available in shops rather than being designed especially for a customer

Merriam-Webster: available as a stock item: not specially designed or custom-made

off-the-shelf software

off-the-shelf database software

It's often cheaper if you buy wallpaper off the shelf, rather than having to order it.

shelve /ʃelv/ verb

to place on a shelf

shelve books

The books were shelved according to category.

[transitive] to decide not to continue with a plan, idea etc, although you might continue with it at a later time

Let's shelve the project for now.

Plans to reopen the school have been shelved.

Intriguer a few years prior to that was such a fiasco that Finn decided to shelve the entire project.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2021

With your word of the day, I’m Mohammad Golpayegani.

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Thanks for listening, stay safe, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow with a new word.