eggshell
Americannoun
-
eggshells
plural
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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
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(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
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White
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Example Sentences
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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
On Friday, observers spotted what appeared to be a pip — or breach in the eggshell.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
A dense network of fine blood vessels covers the inside of the eggshell.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 6, 2024
A report from 2007 said it was feasible for influenza viruses to enter through the eggshell.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2024
Gay’s skin was the color of an eggshell, and her expression was so tight, I thought her lips might crack.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
His character is naturally fascinated by the dinosaur park but soon realises the reptiles are breeding, after discovering broken dinosaur eggshells and baby footprints in the jungle.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Fossilized dinosaur eggshells included in the study, for example, continued to show detectable statistical patterns connected to ancient biological activity.
From Science Daily ● May 12, 2026
“He’s walking on so many eggshells that he’s on his way to Pakistan at the president’s request to lead negotiations,” the spokesman said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 11, 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
Pilate scraped the eggshells together into a little heap, her fingers fanning out over and over again in a gentle sweeping.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
