One of the mysteries of the English language finally explained.
Synonyms of shelf in English:
shelf
See definition of shelf
noun
1‘she put Frank's card on the shelf’
SYNONYMS
ledge, bracket, sill, rack
bookshelf, mantelshelf, mantelpiece
shelving
predella, retable
2‘the waters above the shelf’
SYNONYMS
sandbank, sandbar, bank, bar, reef, shoal
Phrases
on the shelf
‘the tangled love life of a 30-year old woman who fears she will be left on the shelf’
SYNONYMS
unmarried, single, without a partner, without a spouse, without a husband, without a wife, unattached, on one's own
lonely, unloved, neglected
sole
ANTONYMS
married