shell

 
Pronunciation: /ʃɛl/

noun

  • 1the hard protective outer case of a mollusc or crustacean: cowrie shells [mass noun]: the technique of carving shell
  • the thin outer covering of an animal’s egg, which is hard and fragile in that of a bird but leathery in that of a reptile.
  • the outer case of a nut kernel or seed: peanuts roasted in their shells
  • the carapace of a tortoise, turtle, or terrapin.
  • the wing cases of a beetle.
  • the integument of an insect pupa or chrysalis.
  • (one's shell) used with reference to a state of shyness or introversion: she’ll soon come out of her shell with the right encouragement
  • 2an explosive artillery projectile or bomb: the sound of the shell passing over, followed by the explosion [as modifier]: shell holes
  • a hollow metal or paper case used as a container for fireworks, explosives, or cartridges.
  • North American a cartridge.
  • 3something resembling or likened to a shell because of its shape or its function as an outer case: pasta shells baked pastry shells filled with cheese
  • the walls of an unfinished or gutted building or other structure: the hotel was a shell, the roof having collapsed completely
  • an outer form without substance: he was a shell of the man he had been previously
  • 4the metal framework of a vehicle body.
  • a light racing boat.
  • an inner or roughly made coffin.
  • the hand guard of a sword.
  • 5 Physics each of a set of orbitals around the nucleus of an atom, occupied or able to be occupied by electrons of similar energies: in a multi-electron atom, the lowest energy shells fill up first an electron descending from one shell to a lower one emits an X-ray

verb

[with object]
  • 1bombard with shells: several villages north of the security zone were shelled
  • Baseball score heavily against (an opposing pitcher or team): Williams got shelled in the next inning
  • 2remove the shell or pod from (a nut or seed): they were shelling peas (as adjective shelled) shelled Brazil nuts

Phrasal Verbs

shell something out

(also shell out)
informal pay (a specified amount of money, especially one regarded as excessive): he has had to shell out £500 a week hiring a bodyguard she ended up shelling out for two rooms

Derivatives

shelled

adjective

shell-less

adjective

shelly

adjective

Origin:

Old English scell (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schel 'scale, shell', also to scale1. The verb dates from the mid 16th century in shell (sense 2 of the verb)