seashell

American  

[see-shel] / ˈsiˌʃɛl /

Or sea shell

noun

• seashells
  plural

1. the shell of any marine mollusk.

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seashell British  

/ ˈsiːˌʃɛl /

noun

1. the empty shell of a marine mollusc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• seashells
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of seashell

before 900; Old English sǣscill (not recorded in Middle English ) see sea, shell

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Explanation

Many sea creatures live inside hard, protective cases called seashells. If you find a seashell on the beach, think of it as a tiny abandoned home of a sea creature. You can also call a seashell a shell, although "sea" distinguishes ocean shells from those of freshwater mollusks. If you've ever walked on a beach, you've seen seashells, and maybe even collected some to take home (after checking to make sure no tiny creatures were living inside). Clams, snails, and oysters are all examples of animals that live in seashells. One of the most famous mentions of this word appears in the tongue twister: "She sells seashells by the seashore." Try saying that ten times, fast!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

seashell seashells

US Secret Service agents interviewed Comey last May about the seashell photo.

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026

Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer Camp’s whimsical stop-motion animated film about a one-inch tall seashell with a big heart and an endearing fondness for Lesley Stahl.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 18, 2024

Each nodule starts as a little fragment, perhaps a shark's tooth or a piece of seashell.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 15, 2023

And how can you know whether records you may have, such as an ancestor's journals or seashell collection, might be useful for science?

From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2022

I clutch the seashell in the palm of my hand.

From "Hurricane Child" by Kheryn Callender

First up was a short-sleeved button-up with blue stars and seashells, as well as red stripes made out of different fish.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

In a May 2025 Instagram post, Comey wrote, “cool shell formation on my beach walk,” under a photo of seashells arranged in the numbers “86 47.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

The video also showed Kim presenting Lukashenko with a large mosaic vase bearing a portrait of the Belarusian, with the North Korean leader appearing to explain that crafting it involved around 30 seashells.

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026

One pendant evokes the sea with its swirl of mother-of-pearl, spiral seashells and rivulets of pale gray leather arranged above a piece of bleached coral.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 30, 2025

Today the girl was wearing a giant men's shirt with seashells all over it.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

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