/eg"shel'/ , n.
1. the shell of a bird's egg, consisting of keratin fibers and calcite crystals.
2. a pale yellowish-white color.
3. rather bulky paper having a slightly rough finish.
adj.
4. like an eggshell, as in thinness and delicacy; very brittle; fragile.
5. being pale yellowish-white in color.
6. having little or no gloss: eggshell white paint.
[ 1250-1300; ME ayschelle. See EGG 1 , SHELL ]