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• shell
  shell

  noun

  a hard outer covering of an animal, as the hard case of a mollusk, or either half of the case of a bivalve mollusk.
• she'll
  she'll

  contraction of she will.

shell

¹ American  

[shel] / ʃɛl /

noun

1. a hard outer covering of an animal, as the hard case of a mollusk, or either half of the case of a bivalve mollusk.

2. any of various objects resembling such a covering, as in shape or in being more or less concave or hollow.

3. the material constituting any of various coverings of this kind.

4. the hard exterior of an egg.

5. the usually hard, outer covering of a seed, fruit, or the like, as the hard outside portion of a nut, the pod of peas, etc.

6. a hard, protecting or enclosing case or cover.

7. an attitude or manner of reserve that usually conceals one's emotions, thoughts, etc..

   One could not penetrate his shell.

8. a hollow projectile for a cannon, mortar, etc., filled with an explosive charge designed to explode during flight, upon impact, or after penetration.

9. a metallic cartridge used in small arms and small artillery pieces.

10. a metal or paper cartridge, as for use in a shotgun.

11. a cartridgelike pyrotechnic device that explodes in the air.

12. Italian Cooking. shells, small pieces of pasta having the shape of a shell.

13. the lower pastry crust of a pie, tart, or the like, baked before the filling is added.

14. Computers. a program providing a menu-driven or graphical user interface designed to simplify use of the operating system, as in loading application programs.

15. Physics.

    1. any of up to seven energy levels on which an electron may exist within an atom, the energies of the electrons on the same level being equal and on different levels being unequal.

    2. a group of nucleons of approximately the same energy.

16. a light, long, narrow racing boat, for rowing by one or more persons.

17. the outer part of a finished garment that has a lining, especially a detachable lining.

18. a woman's sleeveless blouse or sweater, especially one meant for wear under a suit jacket.

19. Nautical. the plating, planking, or the like, covering the ribs and forming the exterior hull of a vessel.

20. tortoiseshell.

21. a mollusk.

22. Engineering. the curved solid forming a dome or vault.

23. an arena or stadium covered by a domed or arched roof.

24. a saucer-shaped arena or stadium.

25. the framework, external structure, or walls and roof of a building.

    After the fire, only the shell of the school was left.

26. a small glass for beer.

27. the metal, pressure-resistant outer casing of a fire-tube boiler.

28. Metallurgy.

    1. a scab on the surface of an ingot.

    2. a length of unfinished tubing.

    3. a pierced forging.

    4. a hollow object made by deep drawing.

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verb (used with object)

1. to take out of the shell, pod, etc.; remove the shell of.

2. to separate (Indian corn, grain, etc.) from the ear, cob, or husk.

3. to fire shells or explosive projectiles into, upon, or among; bombard.

verb (used without object)

1. to fall or come out of the shell, husk, etc.

2. to come away or fall off, as a shell or outer coat.

3. to gather sea shells.

   We spent the whole morning shelling while the tide was out.

verb phrase

1. shell out to hand over (money); contribute; pay.

she'll ² American  

[sheel, shil] / ʃil, ʃɪl /

1. contraction of she will.

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she'll ¹ British  

/ ʃiːl, ʃɪl /

contraction

1. she will or she shall

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shell ² British  

/ ʃɛl /

noun

1. the protective calcareous or membranous outer layer of an egg, esp a bird's egg

2. the hard outer covering of many molluscs that is secreted by the mantle

3. any other hard outer layer, such as the exoskeleton of many arthropods

4. the hard outer layer of some fruits, esp of nuts

5. any hard outer case

6. a hollow artillery projectile filled with explosive primed to explode either during flight, on impact, or after penetration Compare ball 1

7. a small-arms cartridge comprising a hollow casing inside which is the primer, charge, and bullet

8. a pyrotechnic cartridge designed to explode in the air

9. rowing a very light narrow racing boat

10. the external structure of a building, esp one that is unfinished or one that has been gutted by fire

11. the basic structural case of something, such as a machine, vehicle, etc

12. physics

    1. a class of electron orbits in an atom in which the electrons have the same principal quantum number and orbital angular momentum quantum number and differences in their energy are small compared with differences in energy between shells

    2. an analogous energy state of nucleons in certain theories ( shell models ) of the structure of the atomic nucleus

13. the pastry case of a pie, flan, etc

14. a thin slab of concrete or a skeletal framework made of wood or metal that forms a shell-like roof

15. (in some schools) a class or form

16. to become less shy and reserved

17. to help to become less shy and reserved

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verb

1. to divest or be divested of a shell, husk, pod, etc

2. to separate or be separated from an ear, husk, cob, etc

3. (tr) to bombard with artillery shells

shell Scientific  

/ shĕl /

1. 1. The usually hard outer covering of certain animals, such as mollusks, insects, and turtles.

   2. The hard outer covering of a bird's egg.

   3. The hard outer covering of a seed, nut, or fruit.

2. 1. A set of electron orbitals that have nearly the same energy. Electrons in outer shells have greater energy than those in shells closer to the nucleus. Elements in the Periodic Table range from the lightest elements with electrons normally occupying one shell (hydrogen and helium) to the heaviest, with electrons in seven shells (radium and uranium, for instance).

   2. Any of the stable states of other particles or collections of particles (such as the nucleons in an atomic nucleus) at a given energy or small range of energies.

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shell Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing shell

• in one's shell

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Usage

See contraction.

Other Word Forms

• de-shell
  verb (used with object)
• shell-less
  adjective
• shell-like
  adjective
• shelly
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of shell

before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English scell (north), sciell; cognate with Dutch schil peel, skin, rink, Old Norse skel shell, Gothic skalja tile; (v.) derivative of the noun; cf. shale

Explanation

A hard surface that covers an animal is its shell. Sea urchins, turtles, and lobsters all have protective shells. The largest turtle shell is nearly 10 feet wide! Most shells are made of calcium carbonate, and they grow along with the animal. Bird embryos are nestled inside shells, and nuts have shells too. Other uses for shell come from the biological meaning. A rifle shell has a shell-like metal casing. An empty structure, with only walls, is the shell of a building. And to "come out of your shell," means to emerge, like a turtle, from your shyness.

Example Sentences

The glycocalyx surrounds all human cells like a protective outer shell.

From Science Daily • May 18, 2026

But bragging about enjoying a hard shell taco nowadays is like showing up to a street takeover in a horse buggy.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

The charred shell of the building still stands on the site.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

The Tim Hortons trade also was routed to the Russian trader, who bought the shares in the name of a shell company registered in the British Virgin Islands, according to court papers.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

There was a pool of fresh water to drink and a waterfall to slide down, and, in a hidden hollow where the grasslands met the white shell beach, there was—“A place for a hut!”

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr