{adv.} or {adj. phr.}, {informal} In or into bashfulness; into silence; not sociable; unfriendly. * /After Mary's mother scolded her, she went into her shell./ * /The teacher tried to get Rose to talk to her, but she stayed in her shell./ Contrast: OUT OF ONE'S SHELL.
INTO ONE'S SHELL
Meaning of INTO ONE'S SHELL in English
Slang English vocab. Английский сленговый словарь. 2012