eggshell
Americannoun
-
eggshells
plural
-
the shell of a bird's egg, consisting of keratin fibers and calcite crystals.
-
a pale yellowish-white color.
-
rather bulky paper having a slightly rough finish.
adjective
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like an eggshell, as in thinness and delicacy; very brittle; fragile.
-
being pale yellowish-white in color.
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having little or no gloss.
eggshell white paint.
noun
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the hard porous protective outer layer of a bird's egg, consisting of calcite and protein
-
a yellowish-white colour
-
a type of paper with a slightly rough finish
-
(modifier) (of paint) having a very slight sheen
an eggshell finish
-
to be very cautious or diplomatic for fear of upsetting someone
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of eggshell
First recorded in 1250–1300, eggshell is from the Middle English word ayschelle. See egg 1, shell
Vocabulary lists containing eggshell
Non-Color Words to Use When Describing Color
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White
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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.
See Examples For:
Like the large so-called moon jar that opens the exhibition, these capacious bowls glazed in eggshell white flaunt their foibles with wobbling edges that give character to otherwise pure forms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
Observers spotted what appeared to be a pip — or breach in the eggshell — on Friday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2026
The eggshell microstructure indicates that these crocodiles likely nested along the edges of a lake and adjusted their reproductive strategies as conditions shifted over time.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 15, 2025
A report from 2007 said it was feasible for influenza viruses to enter through the eggshell.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2024
He enlists the aid of the sacred ota stone, as well as the shrunken head of a doll, a ball of powdered eggshell, and the eggun, a vertebra from the spine of a goat.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
Previous G-7s brought out the alpha in Trump, subjecting allies to barbs and white-knuckled handshakes and forcing other leaders to walk on eggshells.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Curiously, DDT did not kill the birds outright, but rather caused their eggshells to collapse under the weight of the incubating adults.
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2026
On the United States, he's walking on eggshells.
From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026
It would be several years, however, until she did not feel as if she was walking on eggshells, terrified that she might put a foot wrong and have her daughter leave again.
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026
“I filtered the fourth distillation through a mixture of charcoal, eggshells, pecan husks, and coffee grounds. I think I’ll put it up in oak for a while and see what happens.”
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
