off the shelf
7
3.3
- idiom
:
listo para usar
- Engineers, even electrical engineers, use well-understood, often off-the-shelf materials with well-defined limits.
- off the shelf software
- off the shelf solution
- off the shelf components
It's very rare that I buy an off the shelf prop replica that needs nothing.
- It's very rare that I buy an off the shelf prop replica that needs nothing.
- So that's just one simple example, which is like off the shelf Google Docs and Zoom.
- It's an easy drug to prescribe because it's it's it's off the shelf.
- Yeah, but right now it's compatible with most toys off the shelf.
- Yes, personalized emojis, I don't know, but maybe personalized emojis are more secure than off the shelf emojis?
- So I think that once you can make this repeatably it would be much cheaper than buying off the shelf my Carter or other composite materials.
- Well, I think let me try and apply my my methodology of rigor here rather than just taking the first analogy off the shelf.
Examples
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Unfortunately, however, the standard, off-the-shelf social scripts do not work for everyone.
Academic text (2008) -
This is just off the shelf floor gloss.
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It's probably an off the shelf component, but might not be for yours.
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We're using commercial off the shelf lithium ion cells.
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We cannot use any off the shelf PC water cooling gear.
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Scientists can also consult with computer science or engineering partners about existing off-the-shelf tools.
Academic text (2012) -
The need to use off-the-shelf programs to solve business and organizational problems was often stated.
Academic text (2007) -
We used an off-the-shelf decision procedure to handle the compile-time checks.
Academic text (2012) -
QuickTrak is an off-the-shelf solution that reduces design and installation costs by integrating into machine configurations.
Academic text (2005) -
The new computer program is an off the shelf solution that anyone can buy and start using immediately.
Synonyms
7
4.4
Clothes made in standard sizes and sold in stores, not made for one person
1
4.1
Made in common sizes and sold ready to use
A ready-made product or service you can use immediately without change
Antonyms
How Ready
Surface Forms
Morphology
off + the + shelf
The meaning 'available for immediate use' is directly derivable from combining 'off' (away from) with 'the shelf' (where ready-made goods are stored): an item taken off the shelf is ready-made and immediately available. This literal spatial/compositional logic is common cross‑linguistically and follows normal English patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will likely infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Off the shelf comes from shops where people take an item literally off the shelf to buy and use it straight away. That's why it means 'ready to use' rather than 'custom-made'.