shell (A2)

noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ʃel/

Definition

The hard outer covering of an animal, like a turtle or snail, or of an egg or nut.

Examples

• The crab scuttled across the sand, leaving its empty shell behind.

• She carefully cracked the eggshell to get to the yolk inside.

• He found a beautiful seashell on the beach and decided to keep it.

How to Use shell

shell out (phrasal verb)

To pay money for something, often reluctantly. — "We had to shell out a lot of money for the repairs."

shell of (prepositional phrase)

The outer covering or framework of something. — "The house was just a shell of its former glory after the fire."

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