shell
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shell¹
- /ʃɛl/ US, UK
- /ʃel/ Australia, New Zealand
- /ʃæl/
- /ʃɛl/
Sounds like shall (salary–celery merger) · Rhymes with -ɛl
Where it comes from
From Middle English schelle, from Old English sċel, sċell, sċiell, sċil, sċill, sċyl, sċyll, from Proto-West Germanic *skallju, from Proto-Germanic *skaljō (“shell; husk; rind; peel”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelH- (“to cut; to separate, split”).
Cognates
Cognate with Dutch schil (“bark, rind, skin; crust; shell; slice”), Danish skæl (“scale; dandruff”), Faroese and Icelandic skel (“shell”), Norwegian Bokmål skjell (“shell; scale”), Norwegian Nynorsk skjel (“shell; bivalve; scale; carapace”), Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰 (skalja, “brick, tile”), French écaille (“scale; shell”), Friulian scae (“scale”), Italian scaglia (“scale; flake, sliver; splinter”); also Breton killi (“grove”), Cornish kelli (“grove”), Irish coill (“forest, wood”), Manx keyll (“forest, wood; grove, plantation”), Scottish Gaelic coille (“forest”), Welsh celli (“grove”), Latin scalpō (“to scratch; to carve”), Ancient Greek σκᾰ́λλω (skắllō, “to hoe, stir up”), Albanian çel (“to open up; to sprout; to hatch up; to rise”), Lithuanian skelti (“to crack, split”), Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Russian скала́ (skalá, “cliff, rock”), Czech skála (“rock”), Polish skała, skáła, szkała (“rock”), Slovak and Slovene skala (“rock”), Ukrainian скала́ (skalá), ска́ля (skálja, “cliff, rock”), Armenian քաղել (kʻaġel, “to pick; to gather; to mow”), Sanskrit कॢप् (kḷp, “to order; to manage; to perform; to create; to cut”). More at shale.
Doublet of sheal.
* (computing): From being viewed as an outer layer of interface between the user and the operating-system internals.
noun shells
- The calcareous or chitinous external covering of mollusks, crustaceans, and some other invertebrates. In some mollusks, as the cuttlefish, the shell is concealed by the animal's outer mantle and is considered internal.
- Any mollusk having such a covering.
- The exoskeleton or wing covers of certain insects.
- The conjoined scutes that constitute the "shell" (carapace) of a tortoise or turtle.
- The overlapping hard plates comprising the armor covering the armadillo's body.
- The hard calcareous covering of a bird egg.
- One of the outer layers of skin of an onion. The restaurant served caramelized onion shells.
- The covering, or outside part, of a nut. The black walnut and the hickory nut, both of the same Genus as the pecan, have much thicker and harder shells than the pecan.
- A pod containing the seeds of certain plants, such as the legume Phaseolus vulgaris.
- Husks of cacao seeds, a decoction of which is sometimes used as a substitute or adulterant for cocoa and its products such as chocolate.
- The accreted mineral formed around a hollow geode.
- The casing of a self-contained single-unit artillery projectile.
- A hollow, usually spherical or cylindrical projectile fired from a siege mortar or a smoothbore cannon. It contains an explosive substance designed to be ignited by a fuse or by percussion at the target site so that it will burst and scatter at high velocity its contents and fragments. Formerly called a bomb.
- The cartridge of a breechloading firearm; a load; a bullet; a round.
- Any slight hollow structure; a framework, or exterior structure, regarded as not complete or filled in, as the shell of a house.
- A garment, usually worn by women, such as a shirt, blouse, or top, with short sleeves or no sleeves, that often fastens in the rear.
- A coarse or flimsy coffin; a thin interior coffin enclosed within a more substantial one. Upstairs in that chill darkened room which nobody passes who can help it , the old Baronet lies in his coffin shell - an awful form faintly defined beneath the sheet
- An unmarked vehicle for carrying corpses from a crime scene. Then they lifted the body into the bag, setting it down like something breakable, zipped the bag, wrapped the whole thing in polythene and carried the stretcher into the shell.
- A string instrument, as a lyre, whose acoustical chamber is formed like a shell. The first lyre may have been made by drawing strings over the underside of a tortoise shell.
- The body of a drum; the often wooden, often cylindrical acoustic chamber, with or without rims added for tuning and for attaching the drum head.
- An engraved copper roller used in print works.
- The thin coating of copper on an electrotype.
- The watertight outer covering of the hull of a vessel, often made with planking or metal plating.
- The outer frame or case of a block within which the sheaves revolve.
- A light boat whose frame is covered with thin wood, impermeable fabric, or water-proofed paper; a racing shell or dragon boat.
- A set of atomic orbitals that have the same principal quantum number.
- The outward form independent of what is inside.
- The empty outward form of someone or something. The setback left him a mere shell; he was never the same again.
- An emaciated person. He's lost so much weight from illness; he's a shell of his former self.
- A person otherwise diminished. Since coming back from Vietnam, he's been a shell of his former self.
- A psychological barrier to social interaction. Even after months of therapy he's still in his shell.
- An operating system software user interface, whose primary purpose is to launch other programs and control their interactions; the user's command interpreter. Shell is a way to separate the internal complexity of the implementation of the command from the user. The internals can change while the user experience/interface remains the same. The name "Bash" is an acronym which stands for "Bourne-again shell", itself a pun on the name of the "Bourne shell", an earlier Unix shell designed by Stephen Bourne, and the Christian concept of being "born again".
- A legal entity that has no operations. A shell corporation was formed to acquire the old factory.
- A concave rough cast-iron tool in which a convex lens is ground to shape.
- A gouge bit or shell bit.
- The onset and coda of a syllable.
-
A person's ear.
Can I have a quick word in your shell?
Similar: shell-like
- One or more school grades within secondary education, at certain public schools. Chinese (Mandarin) is taught at Westminster from the Lower Shell as an optional subject.
- In formal debating, a set of proposed rules to be followed, with set penalties for violating them. a theory shell
verb shells · shelling · shelled
- To remove the outer covering or shell of something.
- To bombard, to fire projectiles at, especially with artillery. The guns shelled the enemy trenches.
- 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.
- To switch to a shell or command line. Automenu is a good program to try, and offers a fair amount of protection - but, unfortunately, it's one of those systems that allow users to shell to DOS.
- To form shallow, irregular cracks (in a coating).
- To form a shelling.
- To drop (the ball). He shelled it, and dislocated his finger in the process.
Shell²
- /ʃɛl/
Sounds like shell · Rhymes with -ɛl
proper noun
- A surname.
Shell³
- /ʃɛl/
Sounds like shell · Rhymes with -ɛl
proper noun
- A diminutive of the female given names Michelle and Shelly.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: carapace, pod, eggshell, plate, blast, casing, scale, strafe, case, racing shell, scallop, crustacean, clam, shellfish, egg, hull
Translations
Every language
noun hard covering of an egg
| Español | cáscara |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 껍질 kkeopjil, 난각 nan'gak |
| 日本語 | 殻 kara, 卵殻 rankaku |
| 中文 | 蛋殼 /蛋壳 dànké, dànke, 殼 /壳 ké |
| हिन्दी | खोल khol, खोखा khokhā |
| Português | casca |
| Français | coquille |
| Deutsch | Schale, Eierschale |
| Italiano | guscio |
| Ελληνικά | κέλυφος kélyfos |
| Română | coajă |
| Русский | скорлупа́ skorlupá |
| Tiếng Việt | vỏ, vỏ trứng |
| العربية | قِشْر qišr, قِشْرَة qišra |
| עברית | קליפה klipá |
noun hard calcareous or chitinous external covering of many invertebrates
| Español | concha, caparazón, carapacho |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 조가비 jogabi, 조개 jogae |
| 日本語 | 殻 kara, 貝殻 kaigara |
| 中文 | 貝 /贝 bèi, 貝殼 /贝壳 bèiké |
| हिन्दी | खोल khol, शैल śail, कौड़ी kauṛī |
| Português | concha |
| Français | coquille, coquillage |
| Deutsch | Schale |
| Italiano | conchiglia |
| Ελληνικά | όστρακο óstrako |
| Română | scoică, cochilie |
| Русский | ра́ковина rákovina, раку́шка rakúška, ра́кушка rákuška, па́нцирь páncirʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | vỏ |
| العربية | صَدَفَة ṣadafa |
| עברית | קוֹנְכִיָּה qonchiá |
noun entomology: exoskeleton of certain insects
| Español | concha |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 鞘翅 |
| 中文 | 介殼 /介壳 jièqiào, 甲壳 jièqiào, jièké |
| हिन्दी | खोखा khokhā |
| Português | carapaça |
| Français | carapace |
| Italiano | carapace, esoscheletro |
| Română | exoschelet |
| Русский | па́нцирь páncirʹ |
noun conjoined scutes that comprise the "shell" of a tortoise or turtle
| Español | caparazón |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 갑각 gapgak, 갑 gap |
| 日本語 | 甲羅 kōra, 甲 kō |
| 中文 | 甲殼 /甲壳 jiǎké, jiǎqiào, 甲 jiǎ |
| हिन्दी | खोल khol |
| Português | carapaça, casco |
| Français | carapace |
| Italiano | carapace |
| Română | carapace |
| Русский | па́нцирь páncirʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | mai, mu |
| العربية | صَدَفة ṣadafa, بَيْت bayt |
| עברית | שִׁרְיוֹן shiryón |
noun overlapping hard plates comprising the armor covering armadillo's body
| 한국어 | 갑각 gapgak, 갑 gap |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 甲羅 kōra, 甲 kō |
| 中文 | 甲殼 /甲壳 jiǎké, jiǎqiào, 甲 jiǎ |
| Português | carapaça |
| Français | carapace |
| Italiano | placca, placca ossea |
| Ελληνικά | κέλυφος kélyfos |
| Русский | па́нцирь páncirʹ |
noun covering of a nut
| Español | cáscara |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 껍질 kkeopjil |
| 日本語 | 殻 kara |
| हिन्दी | खोल khol, छिलका chilkā |
| Português | casca |
| Français | coque |
| Deutsch | Schale |
| Italiano | guscio, mallo |
| Ελληνικά | κέλυφος kélyfos |
| Română | coajă |
| Русский | скорлупа́ skorlupá |
| العربية | قِشْر qišr |
| עברית | קליפה qlipá |
noun pod
| Español | vaina |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 莢 saya |
| Português | vagem |
| Français | cosse |
| Italiano | baccello |
| Ελληνικά | κάψα kápsa |
| Русский | боб bob, стручо́к stručók |
noun casing of an artillery projectile
| Español | casquete |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 약협 yakhyeop |
| 日本語 | 薬莢 yakkyō |
| 中文 | 彈殼 /弹壳 dànké |
| हिन्दी | खोखा khokhā |
| Português | cartucho |
| Français | douille |
| Deutsch | Hülse |
| Italiano | bossolo |
| Ελληνικά | κάλυκας kálykas |
| Русский | ги́льза gílʹza |
| العربية | ظَرْف ẓarf |
noun hollow usually spherical or cylindrical projectile fired from a mortar or a cannon
| 한국어 | 포탄 potan |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 砲弾 hōdan |
| 中文 | 砲彈 /炮弹 pàodàn |
| हिन्दी | खोखा khokhā |
| Português | granada, obus |
| Français | obus |
| Deutsch | Granate |
| Italiano | granata, ogiva |
| Ελληνικά | οβίδα ovída |
| Română | obuz |
| Русский | снаря́д snarjád |
noun cartridge of a breechloading firearm
| 한국어 | 약협 yakhyeop |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 薬莢 yakkyō |
| Português | cartucho |
| Ελληνικά | φυσίγγιο fysíngio |
| Русский | патро́н patrón |
noun any hollow structure; framework, or exterior structure
| Español | carcasa, carrocería |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 空洞 kūdō |
| Português | exterior |
| Français | carcasse |
| Deutsch | Hülle |
| Română | carcasă |
| Русский | о́стов óstov, карка́с karkás |
noun music: string instrument, whose acoustical chamber is formed like a shell
| 日本語 | 胴 dō |
|---|
noun nautical, rigging: outer frame or case of a block within which the sheaves revolve
| 日本語 | 胴 dō |
|---|
noun chemistry: set of atomic orbitals that have the same principal quantum number
| 日本語 | 殻 kaku |
|---|---|
| Français | couche |
| Deutsch | Hülle |
| Русский | оболо́чка obolóčka |
noun computing: general-purpose environment
| Español | terminal |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 셸 syel |
| 日本語 | シェル sheru |
| 中文 | 殼層 /壳层 kécéng |
| Português | terminal, console |
| Français | interface système |
| Deutsch | Shell |
| Ελληνικά | κέλυφος kélyfos |
| Русский | оболо́чка obolóčka |
| العربية | قِشْرَة qišra |
verb to remove the outer covering or shell of something
| Español | descascarar, desvainar (pea) |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 剥く muku |
| 中文 | 剝 /剥 bāo, bō, 去殼 /去壳 qùké |
| Português | descascar |
| Français | décortiquer, écosser |
| Italiano | sgranare, sgusciare |
Talk about this word "shell." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/shell. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. shell. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/shell "shell." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/shell.Cite this
@misc{shell_2026,
title = {shell},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/shell},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
