shell

1 something that encloses another thing especially to protect it eating oysters straight out of their shells Synonyms armor, capsule, casing, cocoon, cover, covering, encasement, housing, hull, husk, jacket, pod, sheath, caseRelated Words cartridge, cassette (also casette); bark, crust; carapace, house, mail, panoply, plate, plating, shield; cuticle, hide, skin; envelope, package, wrapper; backing, coating, coverture, facing

2 the arrangement of parts that gives something its basic form workers at the shipyard have thus far erected the shell of the ship Synonyms architecture, armature, cadre, configuration, edifice, fabric, framework, framing, infrastructure, frame, skeleton, structureRelated Words cage, lattice, network; contour, figure, outline, profile, shape, silhouette; chassis

3 an outer part or layer the shell of the building is all glass, making it conspicuous on a street with mostly limestone facades Synonyms face, outside, exterior, skin, surface, veneerRelated Words facade (also façade), front, top; cover, covering, facing; appearance, disguise, guise, mask, semblance, showAntonyms inside, interior