shell

The hard covering of a sea animal, often found empty on a beach.

• I found a shell on the beach.
• She keeps colorful shells in a glass jar.
• Waves washed hundreds of shells onto the sand.

Similar words: seashell

Common phrases: collect a shell, an empty shell, a sea shell, shell collection

The hard outside covering of a nut.

• The nut has a hard shell.
• He cracked the walnut shell with a hammer.
• Throw the empty shells into the compost bin.

Common phrases: walnut shell, nut shell, crack the shell, a hard shell

To attack a place by firing explosive objects from large guns.

• The army shelled the town.
• Heavy guns were shelling the enemy positions.
• Several homes were destroyed when troops shelled the village.

Similar words: bombard

Common phrases: shell a town, shell enemy positions, shell a village, shell the trenches

To lose an outer covering, or fall naturally out of a seed case.

• These nuts shell as they fall.
• The dry peas shelled out of their pods.
• Some beans shell naturally when their pods split.

Similar words: shed a covering

Common phrases: shell out naturally, shell when ripe, shell on falling