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Shelf vs Shelving - What's the difference?

shelf | shelving |

As nouns the difference between shelf and shelving

is that shelf is a flat, rigid, rectangular structure, fixed at right angles to a wall, and used to support, store or display objects while shelving is shelves collectively.

As a verb shelving is

present participle of shelve.

shelf

English

(wikipedia shelf)

Noun

(shelves)
  • A flat, rigid, rectangular structure, fixed at right angles to a wall, and used to support, store or display objects.
  • * 2012 October 31, David M. Halbfinger, "[http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/01/nyregion/new-jersey-continues-to-cope-with-hurricane-sandy.html?hp]," New York Times (retrieved 31 October 2012):
    • Localities across New Jersey imposed curfews to prevent looting. In Monmouth, Ocean and other counties, people waited for hours for gasoline at the few stations that had electricity. Supermarket shelves were stripped bare.
  • The capacity of such an object; as, a shelf of videos.
  • A projecting ledge that resembles such an object.
  • A reef, shoal or sandbar.

    • Synonyms

    * (capacity) shelfful

    Related terms

    * shelve

    Derived terms

    * bookshelf * continental shelf * off the shelf * on the shelf * shelfful * shelvy * shelf life

    Anagrams

    * English nouns with irregular plurals 1000 English basic words

    shelving

    English

    Verb

    (head)
  • Present participle of shelve.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • Shelves collectively.
    • There is ample shelving in the basement.
  • (chiefly, in the plural) The side-rails of a cart or waggon.
  • * 1932 , (Lewis Grassic Gibbon), Sunset Song'', Polygon 2006 (''A Scots Quair ), p. 47:
    • So, creaking and creaking, and the shelvins skirling under the weight of their load, they passed that danger point, the carts plodded into motion again […].