1. A physical object:
* A flat, horizontal surface, usually made of wood or metal, that is attached to a wall or other structure for storing or displaying items. Examples: bookshelves, kitchen shelves, retail shelves.
* A series of such surfaces arranged one above another. Example: a bookshelf with three shelves.
2. A metaphorical or abstract sense:
* A level or stratum in something: "He's climbed the shelves of management." This means he's progressed through different levels of responsibility in a company.
* A category or grouping of things: "The grocery store has a wide selection of shelves for different types of foods." This means the store has various sections or departments.
In addition to these primary meanings, "shelves" can also refer to:
* The area where books are stored in a library.
* The area where merchandise is stored in a retail store.
* A place where something is temporarily kept. For example, "The project is on the shelf for now."
To understand the specific meaning of "shelves" in a particular context, you need to look at the surrounding words and the overall sentence.