shell

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 [C,U] the hard outer part of eggs, nuts, some seeds and some animals: We collected shells on the beach. * snail / mussel / walnut shells * earrings made out of coconut shell seealsoEGGSHELL, NUTSHELL, SEASHELL, TORTOISESHELL 2 [C] any object that looks like the shell of a SNAIL or sea creature: pasta shells 3 [C] a metal case filled with explosive, to be fired from a large gun: A shell burst only yards away from us. 4 (AmE) = CARTRIDGE 5 [C] the walls or outer structure of sth, for example, an empty building or ship after a fire or a bomb attack: The house was now a shell gutted by flames. * (figurative) My life has been an empty shell since he died. 6 [C] any structure that forms a hard outer frame: the body shell of a car 7 [sing.] the outer layer of sb's personality; how they seem to be or feel: She had developed a shell of indifference. IDIOMS come out of your shell to become less shy and more confident when talking to other people: He's really come out of his shell since he met Marie. to go / retreat etc. into your shell to become shyer and avoid talking to other people: Whenever my friends are here, she just withdraws into her shell. verb 1 to fire shells at sth: [VN] They shelled the city all night. * [V] Just as they were leaving the rebels started shelling. 2 [VN] to remove the shell or covering from nuts, peas, etc: shelled prawns / shrimp PHRASALVERBS shell out (for sth)