shutter

shutter — noun

IPA/ˈʃʌtə(r)/
KK[ʃˈʌtɚ]IPA/ˈʃʌtər/
  • shuttersingular
  • shuttersplural

1. a mechanical part found in cameras that briefly opens to let light reach the fil

1.nounB1
Definition

a mechanical part found in cameras that briefly opens to let light reach the film or digital sensor for a measured period each time a photograph is taken

Example

Eli pressed the shutter halfway to let the camera focus before taking the photo.

collocation: press the shutter

A fast shutter speed is useful when photographing children at play without blurry results.

collocation: shutter speed

Common collocations
  • press the shutter
  • shutter speed
  • shutter button
  • shutter release
  • electronic shutter
  • mechanical shutter
  • open the shutter
  • close the shutter

Grammar Patterns

the shutter

shutter speed

shutter button

Usage Note

Usually used in the singular when referring to the camera mechanism. 'Shutter speed' is a very common compound noun referring to how long the shutter stays open.

Common Mistakes

I adjusted the shutter of the window before taking photos.
I adjusted the shutter speed before taking photos.
'shutter' in a window context belongs to a different sense (noun sense 2); for cameras, use 'shutter speed' or 'camera shutter.'
The camera shudder opened quickly.
The camera shutter opened quickly.
'shudder' means to tremble or shake; 'shutter' is the camera part.

2. a flat panel fixed to the outer side of a window frame that can be swung shut to

2.nounB1
Definition

a flat panel fixed to the outer side of a window frame that can be swung shut to block light, keep heat inside, or stop people from looking in or breaking in

Example

Hannah closed the wooden shutters before going to bed so the morning sun would not wake her.

collocation: close the shutters

The old seaside house had blue shutters that were cracked and peeling from years of salt air.

passive description: had [colour] shutters

Common collocations
  • close the shutters
  • open the shutters
  • wooden shutters
  • window shutters
  • louvered shutters
  • painted shutters
  • shutter hinges
  • shutter latch
  • board up the shutters
Synonyms
  • blind

    usually refers to an interior roll-up or slatted covering, typically made of fabric or thin material, not the solid exterior panel of a shutter

  • louver

    a specific type of shutter with angled slats; more technical and less common in everyday use

  • jalousie

    a type of window with glass slats that function like shutters; much less common than 'shutter'

Grammar Patterns

shutters + verb

close/open the shutters

Usage Note

Almost always used in the plural ('shutters') because windows typically have two panels — one on each side. The singular 'shutter' can refer to one panel individually, but native speakers normally say 'shutters' even for a single window's pair.

Common Mistakes

I pulled the shutter over the window.
I closed the shutters over the window.
'shutters' is the natural plural form for the pair of window covers. The singular 'shutter' for this sense is rare and may sound odd.
The curtains on the outside of the house were broken.
The shutters on the outside of the house were broken.
'curtains' are fabric inside; 'shutters' are solid panels outside.

3. a strong metal covering that rolls or slides down over a shop's windows and entr

3.nounB2
Definition

a strong metal covering that rolls or slides down over a shop's windows and entrance after closing time to protect the goods inside from theft or damage

Example

Every evening at nine, Samir pulls down the metal shutter in front of his grocery store.

collocation: pull down the shutter

The thieves tried to force the shutter open, but the steel held firm against the crowbar.

Common collocations
  • metal shutter
  • steel shutter
  • security shutter
  • pull down the shutter
  • roll down the shutter
  • shutter door
  • install a shutter
  • shutter comes down
Synonyms
  • security grill

    a metal gate that is more open (like a grid), while a shutter is a solid sheet

  • roll-down door

    often used for warehouse or garage doors; interchangeable with 'shutter' for shop fronts in some regions

Grammar Patterns

metal shutter

pull down the shutter

shutter + verb (is down)

Usage Note

In British English, 'security shutter' or 'steel shutter' are common. In American English, 'roll-down shutter' or simply 'security gate' may be used. The singular 'shutter' is more common than 'shutters' for this type because it is one continuous sheet.

Common Mistakes

The shop pulled down its blinds after closing.
The shop pulled down its metal shutter after closing.
'blinds' are interior window coverings; a shop's external security cover is a 'shutter.'
Idioms

bring/put down the shutters

idiom

To stop showing your emotions or thinking about something upsetting.

After the argument, Mia put down the shutters and refused to talk.

When the doctor gave the bad news, Diego brought down the shutters.

shutter — verb

IPA/ˈʃʌt.ər/
KK[ʃˈʌtɚ]IPA/ˈʃʌt̬.ɚ/

Word family

  • shuttered
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

The four expressions share the meaning of ending business activity, but differ in formality, visual strength, and regional usage. 'Shutter' is primarily American English and creates a vivid image of metal shutters being pulled down over a shop front — it is often used in news headlines for its brevity and dramatic effect ('Factory shutters after 50 years'). 'Close down' is the most neutral and widely understood term across all English varieties; it can apply to anything from a corner shop to a multinational corporation. 'Shut down' overlaps heavily with 'close down' but also carries technical meaning (shutting down a computer or machine), which can cause ambiguity in some contexts. 'Cease operations' is formal and distant, typically appearing in official press releases or legal documents rather than everyday conversation. In practice, a British speaker might say 'the factory closed down' while an American reporter would write 'the factory shuttered' — both convey the same outcome but with different stylistic weight.

shutter ↗close down ↗shut down ↗cease operations

Common collocations

Nouns

  • shutter speed
  • shutter button
  • shutter release
  • shutter sound

Adverbs

Phrases

  • pull down the shutter
  • close the shutters
  • open the shutters
  • shutter the windows
  • shutter a business

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The word 'shutter' comes from the verb 'shut' (to close) combined with the suffix '-er', which marks it as a thing that performs an action — literally 'something that shuts.' The verb 'shut' traces back to Old English 'scyttan,' meaning to close or fasten. The noun form first referred to window covers (early 1500s), then extended to the camera mechanism in the 1830s when photography was invented. The use of 'shutter' as a verb for closing a business developed in 20th-century American English, drawing on the image of metal security shutters being pulled down over a shop entrance — a visual metaphor that captured the finality of closure.