SHELL

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English sciell; akin to Old English scealu ~, Old Norse skel, Lithuanian skelti to split, Greek skallein to hoe Date: before 12th century 1. a hard rigid usually largely calcareous covering or support of an animal, the hard or tough often thin outer covering of an egg (as of a bird or reptile), the covering or outside part of a fruit or seed especially when hard or fibrous, ~ material (as of mollusks or turtles) or their substance, something that resembles a ~: as, a framework or exterior structure, b. an external case or outside covering , a thin usually spherical layer or surface enclosing a space or surrounding an object , a casing without substance , an edible crust for holding a filling , band ~ , a small beer glass, an unlined article of outerwear, a ~-bearing mollusk, an impersonal attitude or manner that conceals the presence or absence of feeling , a narrow light racing boat propelled by one or more persons pulling oars or sculls, any of the regions occupied by the orbits of a group of electrons of approximately equal energy surrounding the nucleus of an atom, 9. a projectile for cannon containing an explosive bursting charge, a metal or paper case which holds the charge of powder and shot or bullet used with breech-loading small arms, a plain usually sleeveless blouse or sweater, a company or corporation that exists without assets or independent operations as a legal entity through which another company or corporation can conduct various dealings, ~ adjective II. verb Date: 1562 transitive verb 1. to take out of a natural enclosing cover (as a ~, husk, pod, or capsule) , to separate the kernels of (as an ear of Indian corn, wheat, or oats) from the cob, ear, or husk, to throw ~s at, upon, or into ; bombard , to score heavily against (as an opposing pitcher in baseball), intransitive verb to fall or scale off in thin pieces, to cast the ~ or exterior covering ; fall out of the pod or husk , to gather ~s (as from a beach) ; collect ~s