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shell

shell

25 7.2
A long narrow boat used for racing in rowing
  • noun
  • /ʃɛl/
  • Jargon
translation icon : bote de remo
  • She's starting to come out of her shell.

Examples

  • There is just enough room for me in my little wooden shell, the oars tucked against each side.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The crew worked hard to steer the shell during the final race of the season.

  • It'll be easier to get onto the shell from there.

  • Jockeying the light shell down the ramp and into the water was not difficult.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • As the river flowed smoothly, the lightweight shell glided through the water with ease.

  • He was proud to finally master the technique of rowing a competitive shell.

Synonyms

racing boat
vsshell
1 2.7

A long narrow boat rowed by people for racing

is used specifically in the rowing sport sense rather than any general race craft
racing shell
vsshell
5.2

A very light long narrow boat that people row in competitions

is the general name for that rowing craft rather than the technical term

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 Fast

shell
  • Jargon
25 7.2
skiff
15 7.7
dinghy
18 4.8

Surface Forms

shell singular
shells plural

Etymology

Shell for a rowing boat comes from the idea of a sea shell: long, thin, and smooth, which helps the boat move fast on the water.