eggshell
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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
A report from 2007 said it was feasible for influenza viruses to enter through the eggshell.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2024
“The pip is when there’s a visible bump or crack in the eggshell that we can see,” said biologist Sandy Steers, showing “the chick is making some movement to try to get out.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
Now, McGill University researchers have new information from the eggshell membrane in chicken eggs that could help change this picture thanks to the potential it offers for improvements in tissue engineering and biomaterial grafts.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 14, 2024
Bring the dragon, as well as any teeth it has lost, any skins it has shed, and whatever bits of eggshell you were able to save.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
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
On the United States, he's walking on eggshells.
From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026
For hours one of us hauled while the other guided, mincing along like a cat on eggshells, sounding every step in advance with the stick.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
