shield

noun

• 1a broad piece of metal or another suitable material, held by straps or a handle attached on one side, used as a protection against blows or missiles.

• 2something shaped like a shield, in particular.
• a police officer’s badge.
• Heraldry a stylized representation of a shield used for displaying a coat of arms.
• Geology a large rigid area of the earth’s crust, typically of Precambrian rock, that has been unaffected by later orogenic episodes, e.g., the Canadian Shield.

• 3a person or thing providing protection:a protective coating of grease provides a shield against abrasive dirt
• a protective plate or screen on machinery or equipment.
• a device or material that prevents or reduces the emission of light or other radiation.
• short for dress shield.
• a hard flat or convex part of an animal, especially a shell.

verb

• protect (someone or something) from a danger, risk, or unpleasant experience:he pulled the cap lower to shield his eyes from the glare these people have been completely shielded from economic forces
• prevent from being seen:the rocks she sat behind shielded her from the lodge
• enclose or screen (a piece of machinery) to protect the user.
• prevent or reduce the escape of sound, light, or other radiation from (something):uranium shutters shield the cobalt radioactive source