shell

[ shel ]

/ ʃɛl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: shell / shelled / shelling / shells on Thesaurus.com

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.

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

the material constituting any of various coverings of this kind.

the hard exterior of an egg.

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.

a hard, protecting or enclosing case or cover.

an attitude or manner of reserve that usually conceals one's emotions, thoughts, etc.: One could not penetrate his shell.

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

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

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

a cartridgelike pyrotechnic device that explodes in the air.

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

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

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

Physics.

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.
a group of nucleons of approximately the same energy.

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

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

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

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

tortoiseshell (def. 1).

a mollusk.

Engineering. the curved solid forming a dome or vault.

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

a saucer-shaped arena or stadium.

the framework, external structure, or walls and roof of a building: After the fire, only the shell of the school was left.

a small glass for beer.

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

Metallurgy.

a scab on the surface of an ingot.
a length of unfinished tubing.
a pierced forging.
a hollow object made by deep drawing.

verb (used with object)

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

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

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

verb (used without object)

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

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

to gather sea shells: We spent the whole morning shelling while the tide was out.

Verb Phrases

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

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

OTHER WORDS FROM shell

shell-less, adjectiveshell-like, adjectivede-shell, verb (used with object)

Words nearby shell

shelf paper, shelf-stacker, shelf talker, shelfware, Shelikof Strait, shell, shellac, shellacking, shellback, shellbark, shell bean

Other definitions for shell (2 of 2)

she'll

[ sheel; unstressed shil ]

/ ʃil; unstressed ʃɪl /

contraction of she will.

usage note for she'll

See contraction.

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

How to use shell in a sentence

Israeli media have reported on company’s links to shell companies and byzantine deals.
The man who built a spyware empire says it’s time to come out of the shadows|Bobbie Johnson|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Then they begin to burn hydrogen in a shell surrounding the center.
Explainer: Stars and their families|Ken Croswell|August 18, 2020|Science News For Students
An empty shell of a man stumbled into a ramshackle Pentecostal church at 3585 Middlefield Road looking to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus Freaks Go Bad|Eugene Robinson|August 6, 2020|Ozy
I just know everybody has shell shock from the crisis learning that we did when we closed schools, and everybody had to start online.
North County Report: School Reopening Tensions Are High in Oceanside|Kayla Jimenez|July 22, 2020|Voice of San Diego

The virus can infect human cells, and delivers DNA instructions for making the coronavirus’ spike protein — the knobby protein studding the virus’s outer shell.
COVID-19 vaccines by Oxford, CanSino and Pfizer all trigger immune responses|Tina Hesman Saey|July 21, 2020|Science News
Their friends noticed, and asked Sabrine to talk to him to bring him out of his shell a little.
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda|Ruth Michaelson|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Another said just the act of spending money on self-improvement made him determined to break out of his shell.
The Secret World of Pickup Artist Julien Blanc|Brandy Zadrozny|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If you tend to inhale your food without realizing how much you consumed, opt for nibbles like in-shell pistachio nuts.
12 Thanksgiving Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work|DailyBurn|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then came the day Mustafa, along with two others, was killed by a mortar shell.
Drawing on the Memories of Syrian Women|Masha Hamilton|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet five years later, the news operation has vanished and TRN is now a shell of its former self.
The Godfather of Right-Wing Radio|Caitlin Dickson|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Off flew the shell, seven miles it flew; over the Turkish Army from one sea into another.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
He conducts this ceremony with the greatest solemnity, occasionally pronouncing these incantatory words, "Plate or shell, sah?"
Physiology of The Opera|John H. Swaby (AKA "Scrici")
Fancy that enormous shell dropping suddenly out of the blue on to a ship's deck swarming with troops!
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
From pre-natal days I was destined for the railway service, as an oyster to its shell.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
If one could languish through life in the shell of a mere beauty that life would be a good deal simpler proposition than it is.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for shell (1 of 2)

shell

/ (ʃɛl) /

noun

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

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

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

the hard outer layer of some fruits, esp of nuts

any hard outer case

a hollow artillery projectile filled with explosive primed to explode either during flight, on impact, or after penetrationCompare ball 1 (def. 7a)

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

a pyrotechnic cartridge designed to explode in the air

rowing a very light narrow racing boat

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

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

physics

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

the pastry case of a pie, flan, etc

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

British (in some schools) a class or form

come out of one's shell to become less shy and reserved

bring out of one's shell to help to become less shy and reserved

verb

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

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

(tr) to bombard with artillery shells

Derived forms of shell

shell-less, adjectiveshelly, adjective

Word Origin for shell

Old English sciell; related to Old Norse skel shell, Gothic skalja tile, Middle Low German schelle shell; see scale 1, shale

British Dictionary definitions for shell (2 of 2)

she'll

/ (ʃiːl, unstressed ʃɪl) /

contraction of

she will or she shall

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

Scientific definitions for shell

shell

[ shĕl ]

The usually hard outer covering of certain animals, such as mollusks, insects, and turtles.
The hard outer covering of a bird's egg.
The hard outer covering of a seed, nut, or fruit.

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). See more at atomic spectrum orbital subshell. See Note at metal.
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.

Other Idioms and Phrases with shell

shell

In addition to the idiom beginning with shell

shell out

also see:

in one's shell

shell

Origin of shell

OTHER WORDS FROM shell

Words nearby shell

Other definitions for shell (2 of 2)

usage note for she'll

Words related to shell

How to use shell in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for shell (1 of 2)

Derived forms of shell

Word Origin for shell

British Dictionary definitions for shell (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for shell

Other Idioms and Phrases with shell