shellback

[ shel-bak ]
/ ˈʃɛlˌbæk /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR shellback ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an old sailor.
a person who has crossed the equator by boat.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of shellback

First recorded in 1880–85; shell + back1

Words nearby shellback

shell suit, shell-like, shell-shocked, shellac, shellacking, shellback, shellbark, shellcracker, shelled, sheller, shelley
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to shellback

cadet, marine, pilot, boater, diver, pro, expert, vet, swab, tarpaulin, mate, jack, seafarer, navigator, mariner, salt, pirate, bluejacket, shipmate, tar

Example sentences from the Web for shellback

British Dictionary definitions for shellback

shellback
/ (ˈʃɛlˌbæk) /

noun

informal a sailor who has crossed the equatorCompare polliwog (def. 2)
an experienced or old sailor
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