Skip to main content
shell

shell

218 8.4
A metal container filled with explosives and fired from a cannon or tank
  • noun
  • /ʃɛl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : proyectil
  • Authorities found hundreds of shell casings and eight shot-up SUVs abandoned at the site.
  • artillery shells
  • mortar shell
  • shell shock

It mostly came down to the size, the shells and the distance of the guns.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Just then, German shells exploded on both sides of the road.

  • At this crucial moment, Marshall Marmol was hit by a British shell and carried from the field, seriously wounded.

  • But when he was wounded a piece of the shell hit him.

  • Al lost the hearing in his left ear when a shell exploded right next to him.

  • They were killed instantly by a high mortar shell.

  • Unfamiliar with weapons, Eric tears open a box of shells and fumbles to load the rifle.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Birch heard the whistle of the shell as it shrieked toward their P79 dugout.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The soldiers took cover as the enemy's artillery began firing explosive shells.

  • When the shell exploded, it created a loud bang that echoed across the battlefield.

  • Several shells landed nearby, causing debris to scatter in all directions.

Synonyms

shrapnel
vsshell
  • Archaic
32 8.8

A shell that explodes in the air and scatters small metal balls

is the general cylindrical metal container holding an explosive charge and a projectile
artillery shell
vsshell
  • Specialized
8 7.5

A metal object fired from a large gun that often has an explosive inside

focuses on the physical cylindrical container and its internal projectile
bombshell
vsshell
  • Archaic
2 6.7

A heavy explosive used in war that explodes and breaks into pieces

names the specific cylindrical projectile fired from large guns rather than any explosive weapon
tank shell
vsshell
  • Specialized
1 6.2

A metal explosive shot from a tank's main gun

covers the same projectile type fired from any large gun rather than one vehicle
gas shell
vsshell
  • NSFW
1 8.6

An explosive fired from a cannon that releases poisonous gas when it explodes

carries a solid projectile and explosive charge rather than releasing poison gas
star shell
vsshell
  • Specialized
8.1

A small signal fired into the air that bursts to light an area at night

is intended as a destructive projectile rather than an illuminating device
whizbang shell
vsshell
  • Archaic
9.9

A small fast bomb fired from a gun that makes a loud whistling sound and then explodes with a bang

is the ordinary explosive projectile without stressing speed or loud sound

Idioms

To become more confident and willing to talk to other people

1 7.7

To become quiet and avoid talking to others when you feel shy or anxious

1 5.2

Served on the bottom shell only without the top shell

Compounds

artillery shell
  • Specialized
8 7.5

A metal object fired from a large gun that often has an explosive inside

shotgun shell
  • Specialized
7 3.8

A small case filled with many small metal balls that is fired from a shotgun

shell corporation
  • Specialized
7 7.4

A company that exists only on paper and has no real business used to hide ownership or move money

shell shock
  • Archaic
5 7.5

A severe emotional and physical reaction after a long time in war or heavy fighting

4 8.8

A cheating street game where someone hides an object under cups and makes people guess where it is

3 4.6

A shell cut in half that serves as a dish for oysters or clams

A crab with a soft new shell that people often eat whole

2 2.9

A hard outer part of a sea animal that people use for decoration or to add calcium to soil

1 1.6

A baked or unbaked pastry crust that holds the filling of a pie

tank shell
  • Specialized
1 6.2

A metal explosive shot from a tank's main gun

electron shell
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A group of electrons that surround an atom's centre at the same energy level

gas shell
  • NSFW
1 8.6

An explosive fired from a cannon that releases poisonous gas when it explodes

A crab that has a hard outer covering because it has not recently shed its skin

A fan-shaped shell with lines from the middle to the edge often used as a symbol

A small broken piece of a shell from an egg or sea animal

blank shell
  • Specialized
6.2

A metal case for a gun that contains gunpowder but no bullet

bubble shell
  • Specialized
8.9

A small sea snail with a thin round shell like a bubble

coat-of-mail shell
  • Specialized
9.9

A sea animal with eight overlapping hard plates that clings to rocks

7.9

A large sea snail with a flat, shiny shell eaten as food

9.8

A sea animal with a heavy ridged shell in two parts that people sometimes eat

lamp shell
  • Specialized
9.9

A sea animal with two shells and two arm-like parts with tentacles for feeding

moon shell
  • Specialized
8.2

A smooth rounded sea snail shell with a small top often found on sandy beaches

A North American clam with a thick hard shell that is eaten as food

A very light long narrow boat that people row in competitions

6.1

A small hollow pastry case that holds savory or sweet fillings

A tropical sea snail with long curved spines around the shell opening

sugar shell
  • Archaic
5.1

A small spoon with a bowl like a shell used to serve sugar

tooth shell
  • Specialized
9.9

A sea animal that has a long thin shell open at both ends and a foot for digging in sand

shell entity
  • Specialized
7.7

A company that exists only on paper and has no real business often used to hide money

A tropical plant with large shiny leaves and white flowers with pink and yellow spots

A short waist-length jacket worn by military officers at formal dinners

A plant that farmers grow for its edible bean seeds rather than its pod

A bean plant grown for the seeds that people eat, picked when ripe but not dry

A bean you take from its pod before cooking, usually soft and not fully ripe

A hobby of collecting and studying sea shells

shell parakeet
  • Australian
6.0

A small Australian parrot often bright green with black and yellow spots that people keep as a colorful pet

shell plating
  • Specialized
7.9

Metal plates that form the outside of a steel ship like planks on a wooden ship

shell stitch
  • Jargon
6.7

A crochet pattern where several loops are made in one place to form a fan shape

7.7

To make crochet rows or edges that form fan shapes

9.9

A colorful plant that grows in marshes with waxy long leaves and pink and white flowers

single shell
  • Jargon
7.2

A narrow boat for one person who rows

A small sea animal with a thin fragile shell that people eat

star shell
  • Specialized
8.1

A small signal fired into the air that bursts to light an area at night

tusk shell
  • Specialized
9.9

A small sea animal with a long tube-shaped shell open at both ends

whizbang shell
  • Archaic
9.9

A small fast bomb fired from a gun that makes a loud whistling sound and then explodes with a bang

How Powerful

artillery shell
  • Specialized
8 7.5
shell
  • Specialized
218 8.4
bullet
2.2

Surface Forms

shell singular
shells plural

Etymology

Shell was later used for a hollow metal 'case' filled with explosives because it looked like a hard cover turned into a weapon. That's why a military shell is a metal case fired from a cannon or tank that explodes.