shell
323
1.0
- noun
- /ʃɛl/
- The child found a beautiful shell on the beach and wanted to take it home.
- cowrie shells
- oyster shells
- outer shell
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Watch on YouTubeNow let's look at the crispy outer shell, the self help stuff.
- Now let's look at the crispy outer shell, the self help stuff.
- Then maybe we could sweep the egg shells away for a minute.
- Eggs in the uncracked shell, whole pieces of seafood.
- I've used, like, a long rectangular tart shell for this project.
- Crushed egg shells are very good forms of grit.
- But when you walk on egg shells, it's exhausting.
- You knew how to walk on egg shells and not crunch a single one.
- A small dog with hard shell, creepy little legs, bulletproof back.
Examples
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Eggs in the uncracked shell, whole pieces of seafood.
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These are Olivella shell beads.
-
I see the water and the shells, said the boy.
-
The harder the shell, the deeper the crack.
-
It looks like a turtle shell on both sides.
-
He picked up all the shells.
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Turned out to be oyster shells.
-
Seeing, touching, and interacting with the shell and the pearl is a new experience for many of the students.
Academic text (2013) -
I peeled the eggs on the porch, dropping the shells into a paper sack.
Fiction book (1990) -
A red turtle with its round, smooth shell sat before a clump of rabbit bushes.
Fiction book (1990)
Synonyms
478
1.0
A box or container for holding and carrying things like bottles
64
3.0
An outer cover that protects things like a tire from damage
52
1.0
A thin outer layer on an object that protects it and gives its look
44
3.5
A small thin piece of skin that can come off
30
3.0
A soft silk cover that an insect makes to protect itself before becoming an adult
22
1.0
A hard curved cover left by a sea animal often found on beaches
14
3.9
An outer covering that protects or decorates objects like bullets
12
1.0
A thin hard outer layer that covers a bird's egg
6
2.9
A hard outer part of a sea animal that people use for decoration or to add calcium to soil
5
8.7
A hard outer shell that protects the body of animals like crabs and turtles
2
1.6
A baked or unbaked pastry crust that holds the filling of a pie
1
1.8
A hard outer shell that protects the inside of a nut
1
9.9
A hard outer shell that some insect larvae make to protect the developing insect inside
1
4.6
A clam's two hard shells joined at one side that open and close
1
3.4
A hard protective outer part on some animals and plants
1
6.3
A hard outer covering that protects animals like insects or turtles
1
9.9
An outer protective covering like skin or a shell that protects a living thing
1
4.4
A fan-shaped shell with lines from the middle to the edge often used as a symbol
1
7.9
A large sea snail with a flat, shiny shell eaten as food
1
3.5
A hard outer covering on animals like insects or turtles that protects the body
1
9.9
A hard outer covering on some animals that protects and supports the body
1
3.1
An outer layer on animals or plants that keeps them safe from harm
A tough outer layer that protects things like suitcases or turtles from damage
Idioms
- Informal
To become more confident and willing to talk to other people
- Informal
To become quiet and avoid talking to others when you feel shy or anxious
Compounds
- Archaic
20
7.5
A severe emotional and physical reaction after a long time in war or heavy fighting
- Specialized
11
7.5
A metal object fired from a large gun that often has an explosive inside
10
8.8
A cheating street game where someone hides an object under cups and makes people guess where it is
- Specialized
9
3.8
A small case filled with many small metal balls that is fired from a shotgun
- Specialized
6
7.4
A company that exists only on paper and has no real business used to hide ownership or move money
6
2.9
A hard outer part of a sea animal that people use for decoration or to add calcium to soil
1
3.2
A crab that has a hard outer covering because it has not recently shed its skin
1
4.4
A fan-shaped shell with lines from the middle to the edge often used as a symbol
- Specialized
1
4.8
A group of electrons that surround an atom's centre at the same energy level
- Specialized
1
7.7
A company that exists only on paper and has no real business often used to hide money
- Specialized
1
8.1
A small signal fired into the air that bursts to light an area at night
1
9.9
A tropical plant with large shiny leaves and white flowers with pink and yellow spots
- US
1
9.9
A colorful plant that grows in marshes with waxy long leaves and pink and white flowers
- Specialized
1
8.2
A smooth rounded sea snail shell with a small top often found on sandy beaches
- Jargon
1
6.7
A crochet pattern where several loops are made in one place to form a fan shape
- Specialized
1
9.9
A sea animal that has a long thin shell open at both ends and a foot for digging in sand
- Specialized
1
9.9
A sea animal with two shells and two arm-like parts with tentacles for feeding
- Specialized
A sea animal with eight overlapping hard plates that clings to rocks
- Australian
A small Australian parrot often bright green with black and yellow spots that people keep as a colorful pet
- Specialized
Metal plates that form the outside of a steel ship like planks on a wooden ship
- Archaic
A small fast bomb fired from a gun that makes a loud whistling sound and then explodes with a bang
How Hard
Surface Forms
Etymology
Shell comes from an old English word scell meaning 'husk' or 'cover'. So a shell is a hard case that protects animals, eggs, nuts, or objects.