shutter
/ˈʃʌtɚ/ · shut·ter
noun
- One who shuts or closes something. The shutter was the person responsible for closing the curtains.
- (usually in the plural) Protective panels, usually wooden, placed over windows to block out the light. The shutters on the old house were beautifully crafted.
- The part of a camera, normally closed, that opens for a controlled period of time to let light in when taking a picture. The shutter speed was adjusted to capture the perfect shot.
verb
- To close shutters covering. Shutter the windows: there's a storm coming!
- To close up (a building) for a prolonged period of inoccupancy. It took all day to shutter the cabin now that the season has ended.
- To cancel or terminate. The US is seeking to get Iran to shutter its nuclear weapons program.
Did you know? The term 'shutter' in photography originated from the mechanical shutters used in early cameras, which were essentially metal or wooden panels that opened and closed to control the amount of light entering the camera.