shell

Study(26)

/ʃɛl/

noun 5verb 5name 2

Collocations

(noun.) on eggs/nuts/some animals

ADJ

broken, empty, hard, outer, protective, thick

After the accident, he gradually broke through his hard shell and started talking about his feelings.

egg (also eggshell)

cockle, conch, cowrie, fossil, mollusc, mussel, oyster, scallop, sea (also seashell), snail

I found a beautiful conch shell on the beach during our holiday last summer.

coconut, walnut

VERB + SHELL

have

Turtles have shells that protect them from danger.

come out of, emerge from

After years of being quiet, Sarah finally emerged from her shell when she started her new job.

go (back) into, retreat into, withdraw into

After the argument, she withdrew into her shell and wouldn't talk to anyone for days.

remove sth from

The chef carefully removed the prawns from their shells before serving them.

(noun.) explosive weapon

ADJ

heavy | unexploded | anti-aircraft, artillery, cannon, howitzer, mortar

VERB + SHELL

load | fire

SHELL + VERB

fall, land | blow up, burst, crash, explode

hit sth, strike sth

During the attack, a shell struck the bridge and caused it to collapse.

blow sth apart/off, blow sb/sth up

SHELL + NOUN

fire

The soldiers took cover when enemy shell fire began echoing across the battlefield.

case/casing, fragments, splinter | crater, hole

(noun.) outer walls of a building

ADJ

concrete

burnt-out, empty, hollow

After the accident, the burnt-out factory stood abandoned on the edge of town.

Definitions

noun

A hard external covering of an animal.

In some mollusks, as the cuttlefish, the shell is concealed by the animal's outer mantle and is considered internal.

Genuine mother-of-pearl buttons are made from sea shells.

A hard external covering of an animal.

verb

To remove the outer covering or shell of something.

To bombard, to fire projectiles at, especially with artillery.

The guns shelled the enemy trenches.

There wasn’t even a shed there, and she was shelling the bush.

To disburse or give up money, to pay. (Often used with out).

To fall off, as a shell, crust, etc.

To cast the shell, or exterior covering; to fall out of the pod or husk.

Nuts shell in falling.

Wheat or rye shells in reaping.

name

A surname.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — hard outer covering or case of certain organisms such as art

noun — a metal sheathing of uniform thickness (such as the shield a

noun — the housing or outer covering of something

noun — the exterior covering of a bird's egg

eggshell

verb — remove the husks from

husk

verb — come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

beat
crush
trounce
vanquish

verb — use explosives on

blast

verb — create by using explosives

blast

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

come out of one's shell

To become more socially active or gregarious.

go into one's shell

To act defensively.

Instead of gathering the ball, De Gea poked it away with his foot and Streller was able to place a powerful half-volley into the net. United went into their shells and it was not u

Example Bank

In some mollusks, as the cuttlefish, the shell is concealed by the animal's outer mantle and is considered internal.

Wiktionary

Genuine mother-of-pearl buttons are made from sea shells.

Wiktionary

[…] if with thee the roaring wells ⁠Should gulf him fathom-deep in brine; ⁠And hands so often clasp’d in mine, Should toss with tangle and with shells.

Wiktionary

The guns shelled the enemy trenches.

Wiktionary

There wasn’t even a shed there, and she was shelling the bush.

Wiktionary

Nuts shell in falling.

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, shell is marked as informal. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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