SHELL


Meaning of SHELL in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ʃel ]

( shells, shelling, shelled)

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

1.

The shell of a nut or egg is the hard covering which surrounds it.

They cracked the nuts and removed their shells...

N-COUNT

Shell is the substance that a shell is made of.

...beads made from ostrich egg shell.

N-UNCOUNT

2.

The shell of an animal such as a tortoise, snail, or crab is the hard protective covering that it has around its body or on its back.

N-COUNT

3.

Shells are hard objects found on beaches. They are usually pink, white, or brown and are the coverings which used to surround small sea creatures.

I collect shells and interesting seaside items.

...sea shells.

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4.

If you shell nuts, peas, prawns, or other food, you remove their natural outer covering.

She shelled and ate a few nuts.

...shelled prawns.

VERB : V n , V-ed

5.

If someone comes out of their shell , they become more friendly and interested in other people and less quiet, shy, and reserved.

Her normally shy son had come out of his shell.

N-COUNT : usu poss N

6.

The shell of a building, boat, car, or other structure is the outside frame of it.

...the shells of burned buildings...

N-COUNT : usu with supp

7.

A shell is a weapon consisting of a metal container filled with explosives that can be fired from a large gun over long distances.

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8.

To shell a place means to fire explosive shells at it.

The rebels shelled the densely-populated suburbs near the port.

VERB : V n

• shell‧ing

(shellings)

Out on the streets, the shelling continued.

N-VAR

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Английский словарь Коллинз COBUILD для изучающих язык на продвинутом уровне.