Definition
Definition of Shell - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
identityRare family name used by some peopleRare
- Dr. Shell will see you now.
- Professor Shell is giving a lecture on marine biology.
- The Shell family has lived in this town for generations.
Expressions with Shell
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
sorting algorithm comparing elements at specific intervals
Shell sort is efficient for medium-sized lists.
Origin of Shell
Old English, scell (husk) + skjöllr (shield)
Terms with Shell included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
food item
edible seeds of certain trees, typically enclosed in a hard shell
animal
reptiles with a hard shell covering their body
fruit
large sweet fruit with spiky shell and fibrous core
food
edible nut with a hard shell and wrinkled seed
kitchen ingredient
large tropical fruit with a hard shell and fibrous husk
animal
emerge from an egg by breaking the shell
food
apple covered in a hard candy shell
cooking
break the shell of an egg
animal
emerge from an egg by breaking the shell
seafood
marine crustacean with a hard shell and large claws
preparation
tail section of a lobster including the shell
sea life
marine mollusk with a rough shell containing edible flesh
animals
small soft-bodied mollusk without shell
pill shell
small container for medicine or other substances
shellfish
bivalve mollusk with a hard shell
marine life
large tropical sea snail that grows a heavy spiral shell
marine biology
large spiral sea shell often used for decoration or music
food
tart with a pastry shell and egg custard filling
marine creature
sea animal with eight arms and no shell
cooking
cook an egg in simmering water without its shell
marine life
soft-bodied marine mollusk without a shell
marine life
marine gastropod mollusk with a coiled shell
animals
small animal with a coiled shell
animal
slow-moving reptile with a shell
View all translations of Shell
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:Shell, ...
- German:Shell, ...
- Italian:Shell, ...
- Spanish:Shell, ...
- Portuguese:Shell, ...
- Chinese:谢尔, ...
- Japanese:シェル, ...
- Arabic:شِيل, ...
- Hebrew:שֶׁל, ...
- Russian:Шелл, ...
- Ukrainian:Шелл, ...
- Hindi:शेल, ...
Definition of shell - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
biologyhard outer covering of an animal or egg
- The turtle retreated into its shell.
2.
weaponryTECH. protective casing of a bullet or artilleryTECH.
- The soldier loaded the shell into the cannon.
3.
technologyTECH. user interface in computingTECH.
- He used the shell to execute commands.
4.
botanyhard outer layer of a nut or seed
- She cracked the shell to get to the almond.
5.
architectureouter structure of a building or vehicle
- The shell of the old house remained after the fire.
6.
mindpsychological barrier to social interaction
- She finally came out of her shell at the party.
7.
sportsTECH. type of lightweight boat used in rowingTECH.
- The crew team practiced in racing shells every morning..
8.
businessTECH. non-operational legal entityTECH.
- The company was just a shell with no real assets.
Verb
1.
cookingtr. remove the outer covering of somethingtr.
- She shelled the peanuts for the salad.
2.
- He had to shell out for the repairs.
3.
fire projectilestr./intr. TECH. fire artillery or bombstr./intr. TECH.
- The troops began to shell the enemy positions at dawn..
4.
technologyintr. TECH. switch to a command line interfaceintr. TECH.
- He shelled into the server to check the logs.
Images of shell

hard outer covering of an animal or egg 
protective casing of a bullet or artillery 
hard outer layer of a nut or seed 
outer structure of a building or vehicle 
type of lightweight boat used in rowing
Expressions with shell
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
outer covering left after contents are removed
The beach was covered in empty shell after the storm.
game where a pea is hidden under shells
He lost money playing the shell game at the fair.
pay a large amount of money unwillingly
He had to shell out $500 for the unexpected car repair..
company existing only on paper, often for business transactions
The shell corporation had no employees or real office.
person lacking emotions or purpose
After the tragedy, he felt like just an empty shell.
withdraw from social interactions or activities
After the argument, he crawled into his shell and avoided everyone.
become withdrawn and avoid social interaction
After the argument, he went into his shell.
more confident and willing to talk
After joining the club, she came out of her shell.
less shy and reserved
After a few weeks, Maya was finally out of your shell at meetings.
withdraw from social interactions
She tends to retreat into her shell when she's feeling overwhelmed.
become less sociable or more shy
After the argument, he began to withdraw into his shell.
shy and avoiding social interaction
After the incident, he became withdrawn into his shell and rarely spoke to anyone.
person lacking vitality or spirit due to hardship
After the tragedy, he became a shell of a man.
withdraw from social interaction or engagement
After the argument, he retired into a shell.
withdraw from social interaction or communication
After the argument, he retired into his shell.
hard outer layer of an oyster
The oyster shell protects the soft body inside.
crust forming the base and sides of a pie
She carefully placed the apple filling into the pie shell.
collecting seashells as a leisure activity
Shell collecting is a popular beach pastime.
material from the shell used in jewelry
She wore a necklace made of pearl shell.
in a state of stunned confusion or shock
She was shell-shocked by the unexpected news.
lightweight jacket designed to block wind and resist water
He wore a shell jacket on his hike to stay dry..
type of taco with soft tortilla
I prefer a soft shell taco over a hard shell one.
hard protective outer layer
The turtle's armored shell protects it from predators.
shell free from dirt or debris
The diver found a clean shell on the ocean floor.
Origin of shell
Old English, scell (shell)
Examples of shell in a sentence
Collectors prize the shell for its unique patterns. The technician examined the shell for defects. A shell was found at the site of the explosion. The developer customized the shell for better efficiency. She navigated the system using the shell interface. The shell of the walnut was tough to crack.
Birds often use their beaks to break the shell. The shell of the car was all that was left. They admired the shell of the ancient cathedral. Therapy helped him come out of his shell. Her shell made it hard to meet new colleagues. They bought a new shell for the competition. The shell glided smoothly over the water. The investigation revealed it was a shell used for tax evasion. Investors were wary of the shell due to its lack of transparency. He shelled the shrimp before cooking. They shelled the beans for the stew. She had to shell out for her friend's birthday gift. They shelled out a lot for the concert tickets. They planned to shell the fort at midnight. The navy ships will shell the coastal defenses. She shelled into the database to update records. Developers often shell into systems for maintenance.
View all translations of shell
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:coquille, écosser, ...
- German:Schale, schälen, ...
- Italian:guscio, sgusciare, ...
- Spanish:caparazón, desgranar, ...
- Portuguese:carapaça, descascar, ...
- Chinese:壳, 剥, ...
- Japanese:甲羅, 剥く, ...
- Arabic:صَدَفَة, قشَّرَ, ...
- Hebrew:קְלִיפָה, לְקַלֵּף, ...
- Russian:раковина, очистить, ...
- Ukrainian:панцир, чистити, ...
- Hindi:खोल, छीलना, ...

icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the