Definition

1. Noun:

   • A hard protective outer covering: A rigid, often hard layer that encloses and protects something, such as an animal, egg, fruit, or nut.
   • An explosive projectile: A cylindrical piece of ammunition containing an explosive charge and a projectile, fired from a large gun.
   • A hollow structure or framework: The external structure or housing of an object, such as a building, boat, or case.
   • A light racing boat: A very narrow, lightweight boat used for racing.

2. Verb:

   • To remove a shell: To take something out of its hard outer covering.
   • To bombard with explosive shells: To fire explosive projectiles at a target.
   • To collect seashells: To look for and gather shells from a beach.
   • To defeat decisively: To beat an opponent thoroughly in a competition.
   • To fall out of a pod: For seeds or nuts to separate naturally from their husk.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The hermit crab searched for a new shell to live in.
  • Artillery fire echoed as another shell landed in the distance.
  • Only the charred shell of the building remained after the fire.

• Verb:

  • Please shell these peanuts for the recipe.
  • The battleship began to shell the enemy coastline.
  • We walked along the shore to shell for clams and scallops.

Advanced Usage

• "to come out of one's shell": To become less shy and more willing to talk to or interact with other people.

  • After joining the drama club, she really came out of her shell.

• "to retreat/withdraw into one's shell": To become more shy, quiet, or uncommunicative.

  • After the criticism, he retreated into his shell for weeks.

• "shell entity/company": A company that exists as a legal entity but has no significant assets or operations, often used for specific financial purposes.

  • The investment was held through an offshore shell company.

Variants and Related Words

• Shelling (n): The act of bombarding a target with explosive shells.

  • The constant shelling forced civilians to flee the city.

• Shelled (adj): Describes something that has had its shell removed or something that possesses a shell.

  • We bought shelled pistachios. / Turtles are shelled reptiles.

• Shell-like (adj): Resembling a shell in shape, often used poetically.

  • He whispered into her shell-like ear.

Synonyms

• Noun (for covering): Carapace, husk, casing, hull, crust.
• Verb (to bombard): Bombard, barrage, blitz.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Shell out (for something): (Informal) To pay a lot of money for something, often reluctantly.

  • I had to shell out $500 for car repairs.

• Shell off: To remove or peel off in layers like a shell.

  • The old paint was shelling off in large flakes.

Related Idioms

• A shell of one's former self: Someone or something that has lost the qualities that made them strong, healthy, or effective, and is now much weaker.

  • After his long illness, he was just a shell of his former self.

• Go into one's shell: Similar to "retreat into one's shell"; to become quiet and uncommunicative.

  • Whenever the conversation turns to politics, he just goes into his shell.

Noun

1. the hard largely calcareous covering of a mollusc or a brachiopod
2. a metal sheathing of uniform thickness (such as the shield attached to an artillery piece to protect the gunners)
3. the housing or outer covering of something
   • the clock has a walnut case
4. a very light narrow racing boat
5. a rigid covering that envelops an object
   • the satellite is covered with a smooth shell of ice
6. the exterior covering of a bird's egg
7. the hard usually fibrous outer layer of some fruits especially nuts
8. hard outer covering or case of certain organisms such as arthropods and turtles
9. the material that forms the hard outer covering of many animals
10. ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun

Verb

1. remove the husks from
   • husk corn
2. remove from its shell or outer covering
   • shell the legumes
   • shell mussels
3. come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
   • Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championship
   • We beat the competition
   • Harvard defeated Yale in the last football game
4. look for and collect shells by the seashore
5. hit the pitches of hard and regularly
   • He shelled the pitcher for eight runs in the first inning
6. fall out of the pod or husk
   • The corn shelled
7. create by using explosives
   • blast a passage through the mountain
8. use explosives on
   • The enemy has been shelling us all day