Noun
hard outer covering or case of certain organisms such as arthropods and turtles

Noun
the hard largely calcareous covering of a mollusc

Noun
a metal sheathing of uniform thickness (such as the shield attached to an artillery piece to protect the gunners)

Noun
ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun

Noun
the housing or outer covering of something; "the clock has a walnut case"

Noun
a very light narrow racing boat

Noun
a rigid covering that envelops an object; "the satellite is covered with a smooth shell of ice"

Noun
the exterior covering of a bird''s egg

Noun
the hard usually fibrous outer layer of some fruits especially nuts

Noun
the material that forms the hard outer covering of many animals

Verb
remove the husks from; "husk corn"

Verb
remove from its shell or outer covering; "shell the legumes"; "shell mussels"

Verb
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict; "Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championship"; "We beat the competition"; "Harvard defeated Yale in the last football game"

Verb
use explosives on; "The enemy has been shelling us all day"

Verb
look for and collect shells by the seashore

Verb
hit the pitches of hard and regularly; "He shelled the pitcher for eight runs in the first inning"

Verb
fall out of the pod or husk; "The corn shelled"

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n.
A hard outside covering, as of a fruit or an animal.

n.
The covering, or outside part, of a nut; as, a hazelnut shell.

n.
A pod.

n.
The hard covering of an egg.

n.
The hard calcareous or chitinous external covering of mollusks, crustaceans, and some other invertebrates. In some mollusks, as the cuttlefishes, it is internal, or concealed by the mantle. Also, the hard covering of some vertebrates, as the armadillo, the tortoise, and the like.

n.
Hence, by extension, any mollusks having such a covering.

n.
A hollow projectile, of various shapes, adapted for a mortar or a cannon, and containing an explosive substance, ignited with a fuse or by percussion, by means of which the projectile is burst and its fragments scattered. See Bomb.

n.
The case which holds the powder, or charge of powder and shot, used with breechloading small arms.

n.
Any slight hollow structure; a framework, or exterior structure, regarded as not complete or filled in; as, the shell of a house.

n.
A coarse kind of coffin; also, a thin interior coffin inclosed in a more substantial one.

n.
An instrument of music, as a lyre, -- the first lyre having been made, it is said, by drawing strings over a tortoise shell.

n.
An engraved copper roller used in print works.

n.
The husks of cacao seeds, a decoction of which is often used as a substitute for chocolate, cocoa, etc.

n.
The outer frame or case of a block within which the sheaves revolve.

n.
A light boat the frame of which is covered with thin wood or with paper; as, a racing shell.

v. t.
To strip or break off the shell of; to take out of the shell, pod, etc.; as, to shell nuts or pease; to shell oysters.

v. t.
To separate the kernels of (an ear of Indian corn, wheat, oats, etc.) from the cob, ear, or husk.

v. t.
To throw shells or bombs upon or into; to bombard; as, to shell a town.

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

v. i.
To cast the shell, or exterior covering; to fall out of the pod or husk; as, nuts shell in falling.

v. i.
To be disengaged from the ear or husk; as, wheat or rye shells in reaping.

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Shell

Shell , n. [OE. shelle, schelle, AS. scell, scyll; akin to D. shel, Icel. skel, Goth. skalja a tile, and E. skill. Cf. Scale of fishes, Shale, Skill.] 1. A hard outside covering, as of a fruit or an animal. Specifically: (a) The covering, or outside part, of a nut; as, a hazelnut shell. (b) A pod. (c) The hard covering of an egg.

Think him as a serpent's egg, . . . And kill him in the shell.

(d) (Zo'94l.) The hard calcareous or chitinous external covering of mollusks, crustaceans, and some other invertebrates. In some mollusks, as the cuttlefishes, it is internal, or concealed by the mantle. Also, the hard covering of some vertebrates, as the armadillo, the tortoise, and the like. (e) (Zo'94l.) Hence, by extension, any mollusks having such a covering. 2. (Mil.) A hollow projectile, of various shapes, adapted for a mortar or a cannon, and containing an explosive substance, ignited with a fuse or by percussion, by means of which the projectile is burst and its fragments scattered. See Bomb. 3. The case which holds the powder, or charge of powder and shot, used with breechloading small arms. 4. Any slight hollow structure; a framework, or exterior structure, regarded as not complete or filled in; as, the shell of a house. 5. A coarse kind of coffin; also, a thin interior coffin inclosed in a more substantial one. Knight. 6. An instrument of music, as a lyre, -- the first lyre having been made, it is said, by drawing strings over a tortoise shell.

When Jubal struck the chorded shell.

7. An engraved copper roller used in print works. 8. pl. The husks of cacao seeds, a decoction of which is often used as a substitute for chocolate, cocoa, etc. 9. (Naut.) The outer frame or case of a block within which the sheaves revolve. 10. A light boat the frame of which is covered with thin wood or with paper; as, a racing shell. Message shell, a bombshell inside of which papers may be put, in order to convey messages. -- Shell bit, a tool shaped like a gouge, used with a brace in boring wood. See Bit, n., 3. -- Shell button. (a) A button made of shell. (b) A hollow button made of two pieces, as of metal, one for the front and the other for the back, -- often covered with cloth, silk, etc. -- Shell cameo, a cameo cut in shell instead of stone. -- Shell flower. (Bot.) Same as Turtlehead. -- Shell gland. (Zo'94l.) (a) A glandular organ in which the rudimentary shell is formed in embryonic mollusks. (b) A glandular organ which secretes the eggshells of various worms, crustacea, mollusks, etc. -- Shell gun, a cannon suitable for throwing shells. -- Shell ibis (Zo'94l.), the openbill of India. -- Shell jacket, an undress military jacket. -- Shell lime, lime made by burning the shells of shellfish. -- Shell marl , a kind of marl characterized by an abundance of shells, or fragments of shells. -- Shell meat, food consisting of shellfish, or testaceous mollusks. Fuller. -- Shell mound. See under Mound. -- Shell of a boiler, the exterior of a steam boiler, forming a case to contain the water and steam, often inclosing also flues and the furnace; the barrel of a cylindrical, or locomotive, boiler. -- Shell road, a road of which the surface or bed is made of shells, as oyster shells. -- Shell sand, minute fragments of shells constituting a considerable part of the seabeach in some places.

Shell

Shell, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shelled ; p. pr. & vb. n. Shelling.] 1. To strip or break off the shell of; to take out of the shell, pod, etc.; as, to shell nuts or pease; to shell oysters. 2. To separate the kernels of (an ear of Indian corn, wheat, oats, etc.) from the cob, ear, or husk. 3. To throw shells or bombs upon or into; to bombard; as, to shell a town. To shell out, to distribute freely; to bring out or pay, as money. [Colloq.]

Shell

Shell, v. i. 1. To fall off, as a shell, crust, etc. 2. To cast the shell, or exterior covering; to fall out of the pod or husk; as, nuts shell in falling. 3. To be disengaged from the ear or husk; as, wheat or rye shells in reaping.

A hard outside covering, as of a fruit or an animal.

To strip or break off the shell of; to take out of the shell, pod, etc.; as, to shell nuts or pease; to shell oysters.

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