shell
shehl
Shell (noun) means the hard outer covering of certain animals, such as snails, crabs, and turtles, or of eggs and nuts. Example: “The tortoise pulled its head into its shell at the first sign of danger.”
noun
1
The hard outer covering of certain animals, such as snails, crabs, and turtles, or of eggs and nuts.
"The tortoise pulled its head into its shell at the first sign of danger."
"She cracked the shell of the walnut with a nutcracker."
"The hermit crab left its old shell on the beach and found a bigger one."
2
An explosive projectile fired from artillery.
"The old bunker still bears scars from shells fired decades ago."
"The museum displays an old shell that was fired from a large gun."
"Workers found an unexploded shell while digging in the field."
3
The outer frame or structure of something, especially when unfinished or empty inside.
"After the fire, only the blackened shell of the building remained."
"The builders had only finished the shell of the house by winter."
"An empty shell of a factory stood beside the railway."
4
A computer program that provides a command-line interface for interacting with an operating system.
"She wrote a small script to automate backups using the Bash shell."
"Type the command into the shell and press enter to run it."
"Our teacher showed us how to open a shell on the laptop."
verb
1
To remove the outer covering from something, such as a nut or pea.
"They spent the afternoon shelling peas from the garden."
"Grandad likes to shell walnuts while he watches the television."
"Could you shell the boiled eggs before we make the sandwiches?"
2
To attack a target with artillery fire.
"The town was shelled repeatedly during the siege."
"The old film shows ships shelling the coastline from far out at sea."
"Troops were ordered to shell the hilltop before moving forward."
3
Informal: to pay out money, often reluctantly (usually "shell out").
"We had to shell out a fortune for the wedding venue."
"I hate having to shell out for a new phone every year."
"Parents often shell out a lot of money for school trips."
How to use shell
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA hard protective covering (on an animal, egg, or nut); an explosive artillery round; an empty outer structure; or, in computing, the command-line program you type into.
Common mistake
In business, a "shell company" means an entity that legally exists but does no real business — don't confuse this figurative sense with the physical covering.
Common pairings
shell out
shell company
come out of your shell
egg shell
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Word forms
- Plural
- shells
- Third person singular
- shells
- Past tense
- shelled
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The tortoise pulled its head into its _____ at the first sign of danger.
Etymology
From Old English sċell, an ancient Germanic word meaning "shell" or "husk," related to modern "shale" and "scale."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for shell
See all rhymes for shell →Frequently asked questions
What does “shell” mean?
The word “shell” means the hard outer covering of certain animals, such as snails, crabs, and turtles, or of eggs and nuts. In plain terms, a hard protective covering (on an animal, egg, or nut); an explosive artillery round; an empty outer structure; or, in computing, the command-line program you type into.
How do you pronounce “shell”?
“Shell” is pronounced shehl (/ʃɛl/ in IPA).
How do you use “shell” in a sentence?
Here is “shell” used in a sentence: “The tortoise pulled its head into its shell at the first sign of danger.”
What part of speech is “shell”?
Depending on how it is used, “shell” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “shell” come from?
The word “shell” comes from Old English. From Old English sċell, an ancient Germanic word meaning "shell" or "husk," related to modern "shale" and "scale.".
Is “shell” a common word?
“Shell” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “shell” have?
“Shell” has 7 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the hard outer covering of certain animals, such as snails, crabs, and turtles, or of eggs and nuts.
What is the difference between a shell and a husk?
A shell is a hard outer covering, such as that of a snail, crab, turtle, egg, or nut. A husk is the dry, often papery outer covering of some seeds and fruits, like the layers around an ear of corn. The key contrast is hardness: shells are rigid, while husks are usually dry and fibrous.
What is the difference between a shell and a bullet?
In military use, a shell is an explosive projectile fired from artillery, designed to detonate at or near its target. A bullet is a solid projectile fired from small arms such as rifles and pistols, and it does not explode. Confusingly, the cartridges used in shotguns are also called shells, which is a separate, everyday use of the word.
What is the difference between a shell and a carapace?
Shell is the general word for the hard outer covering of animals such as snails, crabs, and turtles. Carapace is the technical term for the hard upper shield covering the back of animals like turtles and crustaceans. Every carapace is part of a shell, but shell also covers eggs, nuts, and the undersides of such animals.
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