Definitions

1. noun

The hard outer layer of a nut, seed, or other hard fruit.

“She cracked open the coconut to reveal its shell.”

2. noun

The hard outer layer of a mollusk, such as a snail or a turtle.

“The shell of the turtle protected it from predators.”

3. noun

A covering or outer layer, typically hard and protective, for a vehicle or a device, such as a computer or a mobile phone.

“The shell of the spaceship protected its occupants from the extreme conditions of space.”

4. noun

A usually hollow container made of a hard material, such as wood or plastic, used for holding or storing something.

“The shell of the egg was cracked open to reveal the embryo inside.”

5. verb

To remove the outer covering or shell of something.

“The farmer had to shell the corn to get to the kernels.”

6. verb

To put a shell or covering around something, especially a vehicle or a device.

“The engineers had to shell the satellite to protect it from the extreme temperatures of space.”

7. verb

To use a computer program that runs inside a shell or interface, especially to access a remote computer system.

“He had to shell into the system to troubleshoot the problem.”

8. verb

To produce a shell or covering, especially for a vehicle or a device.

“The factory had to shell the new model of car to meet the demand.”