refrigerate; hide; shelve
Meanings
3 senses · 8 examplesverb
to refrigerate; to ice-chill (dialectal)
dialectChiefly used in certain dialect regions (e.g., Cantonese-speaking areas) to describe chilling beverages or food items, analogous to burying them in snow.
This bottle of beer needs to be chilled before it tastes good.
He refrigerated the watermelon in the fridge.
verb
to deliberately hide or hold back; to keep in reserve (metaphorical)
Metaphorical usage originating from the idea of burying something in snow to preserve it. Commonly used in sports, entertainment, or corporate contexts to describe withholding resources or personnel for strategic advantage.
The coach held back the key players, preparing for the finals.
The company kept this technology hidden, waiting for the right time to announce it.
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This actor was shelved by the management company for three years.
verb
to shelve; to put aside indefinitely (metaphorical)
Implies something (often creative works, proposals, or personnel) is left unused or unpublished, frequently due to political sensitivities, commercial strategy, or lack of immediate utility. Slightly more passive than sense 2.
This article was shelved by the publisher for many years, only recently seeing the light of day.
Due to political reasons, that movie was shelved and could not be released.
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This report was filed away in the records room, with nobody paying attention to it.