Definition

Adjective: * Having a shell that is not thick or heavy; possessing a shell of slight thickness or substance. This describes animals (especially mollusks like clams or snails, or crustaceans like some crabs) or plants (like certain nuts or seeds) whose outer protective covering is notably slender or fragile compared to others of its kind.

Usage

This adjective is used to describe the physical characteristic of an organism's shell. It is typically placed before the noun it modifies or after a linking verb. * It is a descriptive term used in biology, ecology, cooking, and general observation. * It often implies a contrast with "thick-shelled" varieties.

Examples

• The thin-shelled turtle eggs were vulnerable to predators.
• These pecans are thin-shelled and easy to crack.
• The researcher collected a thin-shelled mollusk from the shallow reef.
• Be careful when handling that crab; its claws are thin-shelled.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used in comparative and superlative forms: thinner-shelled, thinnest-shelled.
  • The specimens from the northern coast were thinner-shelled than those from the south.
• It can be part of a compound adjective when hyphenated before a noun, but may follow the noun without a hyphen when used with a verb like "to be."
  • We found a thin-shelled nut. (compound adjective before noun)
  • This nut is thin shelled. (adjective phrase after linking verb)

Variants and Related Words

• Fragile-shelled: Emphasizes the shell's susceptibility to breaking.
• Delicate-shelled: Similar to fragile, often implying a fine or elegant thinness.

Synonyms

• Fragile-shelled
• Delicate-shelled

Antonyms

• Thick-shelled
• Hard-shelled
• Armored

Adjective

1. of animals or plants that have a thin shell