smooth-shelled
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having a smooth shell: Describes an organism, typically a nut, egg, or marine animal, whose outer protective covering lacks roughness, ridges, or significant texture.
Usage
- The adjective smooth-shelled is used attributively (before a noun) to describe the physical characteristic of an object's hard outer layer.
- It is a compound adjective formed from "smooth" and "shelled."
Examples
- The botanist collected several smooth-shelled pecans from the tree.
- This species of turtle is known for being smooth-shelled, unlike its more common ridged relatives.
- We found smooth-shelled eggs in the nest.
Advanced Usage
- Technical/Scientific Description: Commonly used in biological, zoological, or botanical contexts to classify and describe species.
- The new cultivar produces a smooth-shelled almond that is easier to process.
Variants and Related Words
- Smooth-shell (noun, less common): Can be used as a noun modifier in a similar way (e.g., "a smooth-shell variety").
- Rough-shelled (adjective): The direct antonym, meaning having a rough or textured shell.
Synonyms
- Glabrous (in botanical contexts, specifically meaning smooth and hairless, which can apply to a shell-like surface).
- Unridged.
Antonyms
- Rough-shelled.
- Textured.
- Ridged.
Adjective
- having a smooth shell