eggshell

[ eg-shel ]

noun
  1. the shell of a bird's egg, consisting of keratin fibers and calcite crystals.

  2. a pale yellowish-white color.

  1. rather bulky paper having a slightly rough finish.

adjective
  1. like an eggshell, as in thinness and delicacy; very brittle; fragile.

  2. being pale yellowish-white in color.

  1. having little or no gloss: eggshell white paint.

Origin of eggshell

1
First recorded in 1250–1300, eggshell is from the Middle English word ayschelle.See egg1, shell

Words Nearby eggshell

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use eggshell in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for eggshell

eggshell

/ (ˈɛɡˌʃɛl) /


noun
  1. the hard porous protective outer layer of a bird's egg, consisting of calcite and protein

  2. a yellowish-white colour

  1. a type of paper with a slightly rough finish

  2. (modifier) (of paint) having a very slight sheen: an eggshell finish

  3. walk on eggshells to be very cautious or diplomatic for fear of upsetting someone

adjective
  1. of a yellowish-white colour: eggshell paint

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012