eggshell
Americannoun
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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.
-
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
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a yellowish-white colour
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a type of paper with a slightly rough finish
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(modifier) (of paint) having a very slight sheen
an eggshell finish
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to be very cautious or diplomatic for fear of upsetting someone
adjective
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.
On Friday, observers spotted what appeared to be a pip — or breach in the eggshell.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 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
"It wasn't like it is today where everybody's got to walk on an eggshell to tell you something," the 63-year-old told the Radio Times podcast.
From BBC • Nov. 13, 2023
All the houses here were huge and immaculate and eggshell white, but it didn’t take long to figure out which one was Celia’s.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
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.
