shell
noun
a hard outer covering of an animal, as the hard case of a mollusk, or either half of the case of a bivalve mollusk.
shells
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pluralof shell.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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present tense formof shell (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
shellnouna hard outer covering of an animal, as the hard case of a mollusk, or either half of the case of a bivalve mollusk.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Organisms older than 500 million years did not yet possess shells or skeletons.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
In keeping with the mid-19th century vogue for collecting and labeling specimens, a shipment of Ceylon oyster shells traveled to the British Museum in 1868.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
An independent AFP investigation concluded that two Israeli 120mm tank shells were fired from the Jordeikh area inside Israel.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
They sell tacos with Dorito shells, nacho-seasoned fries and a Mexican pizza.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
The town of Crisfield lay in the sunlight before them, bleached white as the oyster shells scattered around the ground.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
