shell

noun
UK: /ʃel/
US: /ʃel/

  1. A hard outer covering of an animal or egg.

    1. I found a pretty shell on the beach today, it was very shiny. [ ] [ ]
    2. The turtle's shell protects it from predators in its natural environment. [ ] [ ]

  2. The outer structure of a building or vehicle, especially when incomplete.

    1. The shell of the new house is up, but there's much work left. [ ] [ ]
    2. They are still working on the shell of the new stadium downtown near my house. [ ] [ ]

  3. A metal case filled with explosives, fired from a large gun.

    1. The soldiers fired a shell at the enemy's camp last night, it was destructive. [ ] [ ]
    2. Artillery shells exploded nearby during the battle, the ground shook with impact. [ ] [ ]

  4. A hollow pastry case for holding a sweet or savory filling.

    1. She filled a pastry shell with cream, it was a tasty and simple dessert. [ ] [ ]
    2. The chef carefully piped the chocolate mousse into the delicate pastry shell for his guests. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

bomb case projectile structure husk
shell verb

  1. To remove the shell or outer covering from something.

    1. I need to shell the peas before cooking. [ ] [ ]
    2. She began to shell the nuts for the cake that she was baking today. [ ] [ ]

  2. To fire explosive shells at a place.

    1. The army shelled the city, causing a lot of damage. [ ] [ ]
    2. Enemy forces shelled the position relentlessly during the night, causing great panic. [ ] [ ]
shell phrasal-verb

  1. To work on the external frame or structure of something.

    1. We are going to shell out money for a new computer. [ ] [ ]
    2. They had to shell out a lot of money to repair the car, it was unfortunate. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "shell" in English means: A hard outer covering of an animal or egg., The outer structure of a building or vehicle, especially when incomplete., A metal case filled with explosives, fired from a large gun., A hollow pastry case for holding a sweet or savory filling..

The phonetic transcription of "shell" is /ʃel/ in British English and /ʃel/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "shell": bomb, case, projectile, structure, husk.

Example usage of "shell": "I found a pretty shell on the beach today, it was very shiny.". More examples on the page.