What is "to shut in"

Shut \Shut\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shut; p. pr. & vb. n. Shutting.] [OE. shutten, schutten, shetten, schitten, AS. scyttan to shut or lock up (akin to D. schutten, G. sch["u]tzen to protect), properly, to fasten with a bolt or bar shot across, fr. AS. sce['o]tan to shoot. [root]159. See Shoot.]

1. To close so as to hinder ingress or egress; as, to shut a door or a gate; to shut one's eyes or mouth.

2. To forbid entrance into; to prohibit; to bar; as, to shut the ports of a country by a blockade.

   Shall that be shut to man which to the beast Is open?
   --Milton.

3. To preclude; to exclude; to bar out. ``Shut from every shore.''
   --Dryden.

4. To fold together; to close over, as the fingers; to close by bringing the parts together; as, to shut the hand; to shut a book. To shut in.

   1. To inclose; to confine. ``The Lord shut him in.''
      --Cen. vii. 16.

   2. To cover or intercept the view of; as, one point shuts in another. To shut off.

      1. To exclude.

      2. To prevent the passage of, as steam through a pipe, or water through a flume, by closing a cock, valve, or gate. To shut out, to preclude from entering; to deny admission to; to exclude; as, to shut out rain by a tight roof. To shut together, to unite; to close, especially to close by welding. To shut up.

         1. To close; to make fast the entrances into; as, to shut up a house.

         2. To obstruct. ``Dangerous rocks shut up the passage.''
            --Sir W. Raleigh.

   3. To inclose; to confine; to imprison; to fasten in; as, to shut up a prisoner.

      Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
      --Gal. iii. 23.

   4. To end; to terminate; to conclude.

      When the scene of life is shut up, the slave will be above his master if he has acted better.
      --Collier.

   5. To unite, as two pieces of metal by welding.

   6. To cause to become silent by authority, argument, or force.