shell

1 of 2

noun

ˈshel 

plural shells

1

a

: a hard rigid usually largely calcareous covering or support of an animal

b

: the hard or tough often thin outer covering of an egg (as of a bird or reptile) see egg illustration

2

: the covering or outside part of a fruit or seed especially when hard or fibrous

3

: shell material (as of mollusks or turtles) or their substance

4

: something that resembles a shell: such as

a

: a framework or exterior structure

especially : a building with an unfinished interior

b(1)

: an external case or outside covering

the shell of a ship

(2)

: a thin usually spherical layer or surface enclosing a space or surrounding an object

an expanding shell of gas around a neutron star

c

: a casing without substance

mere effigies and shells of men

—Thomas Carlyle

d

: an edible outer layer of usually baked or fried pastry dough or bread for holding a filling

a pastry shell

a taco salad in a tortilla shell

e

: band shell

f

: a small beer glass

g

: an unlined article of outerwear

5

: a shell-bearing mollusk

6

: an impersonal attitude or manner that conceals the presence or absence of feeling

he retreated into his shell

7

: a narrow light racing boat propelled by one or more persons pulling oars or sculls

8

: any of the regions occupied by the orbits of a group of electrons of approximately equal energy surrounding the nucleus of an atom

9

a

: a projectile for cannon containing an explosive bursting charge

b

: a case (as of metal, paper, or plastic) that holds the charge of powder and shot or bullet used with breech-loading small arms

a shotgun shell

compare cartridge

10

: a plain usually sleeveless blouse or sweater

11

: a company or corporation that exists without assets or independent operations as a legal entity through which another company or corporation can conduct various dealings

shell adjective

shell

2 of 2

verb

shelled; shelling; shells

transitive verb

1

a

: to take out of a natural enclosing cover (such as a shell, husk, pod, or capsule)

shell peanuts

b

: to separate the kernels of (corn, wheat, oats, etc.) from the cob, ear, or husk

2

: to throw shells at, upon, or into : bombard

3

: to score heavily against (someone, such as an opposing pitcher in baseball)

intransitive verb

1

: to fall or scale off in thin pieces

2

: to cast the shell or exterior covering : fall out of the pod or husk

nuts which shell in falling

3

: to gather shells (as from a beach)

Synonyms

Noun

• armor
• capsule
• case
• casing
• cocoon
• cover
• covering
• encasement
• housing
• hull
• husk
• jacket
• pod
• sheath

Verb

• bark
• flay
• hull
• husk
• peel
• shuck
• skin

Examples of shell in a Sentence

Noun

the shell of a crab

We collected shells at the beach.

We're going to have stuffed shells for dinner.

Verb

They shelled the enemy troops.

The town was shelled during the battle.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Their building had not received a direct hit from an Israeli missile or artillery shell. —USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024

At least one shell casing was found on the ground, the station reported. —Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024

Raw shell eggs, chicken broth and plates of raw bean sprouts were found in improper holding temperatures at the restaurant, according to the inspection report. —Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 3 Apr. 2024

Many of the life-forms that live in these depths are reliant on the polymetallic nodules, which form ever so gradually through chemical processes that cause metals to precipitate out of water around shell fragments and shark teeth, according to the Natural History Museum. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024

The weapons were never recovered, but a friend of the brothers found a shell casing in Lyle's jacket pocket. —Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024

Orange peels, shrimp shells and other natural waste is being turned into film that can be used like cellophane, or made into bags. —Kim Severson, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024

At the scene, investigators collected three .25 caliber shell casings, a pair of sunglasses, beer bottles, Styrofoam cups and cigarette butts, according to the reports. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024

At the start of this week, Trump’s loss-making social-media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, completed a merger with a financial shell company, Digital World Acquisition, which took Trump Media public. —John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024

Verb

One family said their home was shelled and that children – some still alive – were buried under the rubble. —Jessie Yeung, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024

His video monitor had gone blurry at first, the landscape of shattered trees and shell craters barely visible, before blacking out completely. —Yurii Shyvala, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024

As the temperatures in Ukraine grew colder and the days gloomier, Brett with the team drove to Kharkiv, a major Ukrainian city that has been shelled non-stop by the Russians since the start of the war. —Venya Brykalin, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024

Beyond a nakba? When Israeli tanks rolled in and shelled the UNRWA school, Ms. Haddad, her two sons, their wives, and her grandchildren left Khan Yunis through a safe corridor, heading to the outskirts of Rafah. —Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Mar. 2024

There was growing international alarm when the site was shelled in the months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine two years ago this Saturday, Feb. 24. —Richard Engel, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024

Rather than being resold to third-party hedge funds or foreign investors, the properties were sold to shell entities controlled by the co-conspirators, according to the release. —Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 24 Feb. 2024

The Kremlin immediately set its sights on Avdiivka, shelling from a distance and skirmishing in industrial zones, but failed time and again to break through Ukrainian fortifications. —Marc Santora Tyler Hicks, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024

Despite reassurances from Israeli forces that staff and patients could stay at the facility, the statement said that the hospital had been shelled in the early hours of the morning. —NBC News, 16 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English sciell; akin to Old English scealu shell, Old Norse skel, Lithuanian skelti to split, Greek skallein to hoe

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1562, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing shell

• ear shell
• hard-shell crab
• hard-shell
• moon shell
• hard-shell clam
• patty shell
• shell jacket
• tooth shell
• star shell
• soft-shell
• shell suit
• shell shock
• shell steak
• shell-shocked
• soft-shell clam
• half shell
• shell pink
• shell out
• band shell
• shell game
• shell bean
• on the half shell

Kids Definition

shell

1 of 2 noun

ˈshel 

1

a

: a hard stiff covering of an animal (as a turtle or beetle)

b

: the outer covering of an egg (as of a bird or reptile)

2

: the outer covering of a nut, fruit, or seed especially when hard or tough

3

: shell material or shells especially of mollusks

4

: something like a shell: as

a

: a framework or outside structure

b

: a bottom crust for a pie

a pastry shell

c

: a concrete arched roof (as over an outdoor stage)

a band shell

5

: a way of behaving that hides one's feelings

coming out of one's shell

6

: a shell-bearing mollusk

7

: a narrow light racing boat rowed by one or more persons using long oars

8

a

: an object filled with an explosive to be shot from cannon

b

: a metal or paper case holding the explosive charge and shot or bullet used in small arms

shell adjective

shell

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: to remove from a natural enclosing cover (as a shell or husk) : shuck

shell peas

b

: to remove the grains from (as an ear of corn)

2

: to shoot shells at or upon

3

: to fall out of the pod or husk

4

: to collect shells (as from a beach)