Synonyms

soft-shell

American

[sawft-shel, soft-] / ˈsɔftˌʃɛl, ˈsɒft- /

adjective

Also soft-shelled having a soft, flexible, or fragile shell, as a crab that has recently molted.

noun

a soft-shell animal, especially a soft-shell crab.

Etymology

Origin of soft-shell

First recorded in 1795–1805

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.

I ordered a stir fry of crab and broken rice with greens and yam that came topped with a fried soft-shell crab drizzled with shito, a Ghanaian chili sauce.

From The Wall Street Journal

Townsend had a day earlier taken to Instagram to share her reaction to some of the food she saw being served at a restaurant, including dishes like braised soft-shell turtle with fish maw and dry pot bullfrog.

From BBC

We gawked at the sea creatures — lobsters, soft-shell turtles, wriggling live eels — while she filled the cart.

From Salon

A couple models are sufficiently protective that the wearers don’t have to practice with Guardian Caps, the soft-shell covers that fit over standard helmets to provide additional cushion and protection.

From Los Angeles Times

Like Ariari, one of Thursday Kitchen’s most popular dishes is a soft-shell crab—but rather than using red pepper-infused mayo, Hyun chooses to prepare the crab with wasabi remoulade, which in addition to mayo uses mustard, capers, and other herbs to enhance the flavor.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023