shelter

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Something that provides cover or protection, as from the weather.
2. n. A refuge; a haven.
3. n. An establishment that provides temporary housing for homeless people.
4. n. The state of being covered or protected.
5. v. To provide cover or protection for.
6. v. To invest (income) to protect it from taxation.
7. v. To take cover; find refuge.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A cover or defense from exposure, attack, injury, distress, annoyance, or the like; whatever shields or serves as a protection, as from the weather, attack, etc.; a place of protection: as, a shelter from the rain or wind; a shelter for the friendless.
2. n. The protection or immunity from attack, exposure, distress, etc., afforded by a place or thing; refuge; asylum.
3. n. Synonyms Screen, shield.
4. n. Cover, covert, sanctuary, haven. See the verb.
5. To protect from exposure, attack, injury, distress, or the like; afford cover or protection to; hence, to harbor: as, to shelter thieves.
6. To place under cover or shelter; seek shelter or protection for; house; with a reflexive pronoun, to take refuge; betake one's self to cover or a safe place.
7. Synonyms To Defend, Protect, etc. (see keep), shield, screen, shroud, house, ensconce, hide.
8. To take shelter.

Wiktionary

1. n. A refuge, haven or other cover or protection from something
2. n. An institution that provides temporary housing for homeless people, battered women etc
3. v. To provide cover
4. v. To take cover

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. That which covers or defends from injury or annoyance; a protection; a screen.
2. n. One who protects; a guardian; a defender.
3. n. The state of being covered and protected; protection; security.
4. v. To be a shelter for; to provide with a shelter; to cover from injury or annoyance; to shield; to protect.
5. v. To screen or cover from notice; to disguise.
6. v. To betake to cover, or to a safe place; -- used reflexively.
7. v. To take shelter.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. temporary housing for homeless or displaced persons
2. v. invest (money) so that it is not taxable
3. n. protective covering that provides protection from the weather
4. n. a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
5. v. provide shelter for
6. n. the condition of being protected
7. n. a way of organizing business to reduce the taxes it must pay on current earnings