shell
- noun
- /ʃɛl/
- Specialized
- 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.
- It mostly came down to the size, the shells and the distance of the guns.
- OK, because you don't have a person standing up loading shells into the gun, right.
- But these shells can be incendiary shells, explosive shells, armor piercing shells.
- Just then, German shells exploded on both sides of the road.
- She blew up the shell before shell blew up the girl.
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
A shell that explodes in the air and scatters small metal balls
A metal object fired from a large gun that often has an explosive inside
A heavy explosive used in war that explodes and breaks into pieces
A metal explosive shot from a tank's main gun
An explosive fired from a cannon that releases poisonous gas when it explodes
A small signal fired into the air that bursts to light an area at night
A small fast bomb fired from a gun that makes a loud whistling sound and then explodes with a bang
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
- Specialized
A metal object fired from a large gun that often has an explosive inside
- Specialized
A small case filled with many small metal balls that is fired from a shotgun
- Specialized
A company that exists only on paper and has no real business used to hide ownership or move money
- Archaic
A severe emotional and physical reaction after a long time in war or heavy fighting
A cheating street game where someone hides an object under cups and makes people guess where it is
A hard outer part of a sea animal that people use for decoration or to add calcium to soil
- Specialized
A group of electrons that surround an atom's centre at the same energy level
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
- Specialized
A sea animal with eight overlapping hard plates that clings to rocks
- Specialized
A sea animal with two shells and two arm-like parts with tentacles for feeding
- Specialized
A smooth rounded sea snail shell with a small top often found on sandy beaches
- Specialized
A sea animal that has a long thin shell open at both ends and a foot for digging in sand
- Specialized
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
- 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
- Jargon
A crochet pattern where several loops are made in one place to form a fan shape
- US
A colorful plant that grows in marshes with waxy long leaves and pink and white flowers
- Archaic
A small fast bomb fired from a gun that makes a loud whistling sound and then explodes with a bang
How Powerful
Surface Forms
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.