racing shell
- noun
- /ˈreɪsɪŋ ʃɛl/
- The coach emphasized the importance of technique while using the racing shell to maximize performance on the water.
Examples
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Your racing shell.
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Oct. 21, 2012 -- Members of the University of Pennsylvania men's lightweight rowing team place their racing shell into the Charles River before racing in the 2012 Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, Massachusetts.
Blog text (24) -
The rowing team practiced every day to prepare their racing shell for the upcoming championship.
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During the tournament, each crew showcased their speed in sleek racing shells designed for competitive rowing.
Synonyms
A long narrow boat used for racing in rowing
A long narrow rowing boat used for racing or short trips
A long narrow boat rowed by people for racing
A narrow, light boat for one person used in rowing races
A narrow boat for one person who rows
How Fast
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a very light, long, and narrow boat for competitive rowing' is directly compositional from 'racing' (relating to racing) + 'shell' (a type of rowing boat), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the compound. There is a small caveat that 'shell' has other non-nautical senses (e.g., an outer covering), but given the boat sense in the constituents the formation is a straightforward adjective + noun composition and thus transparent.
Etymology
Racing shell may come from the boat's thin, shell-like shape: it looks like a long, smooth shell that cuts through the water. So the words racing and shell together give a clear image of a very light, narrow 'boat' used for 'competitive rowing'.