Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

shell       (shěl)  Pronunciation Key  n.   The usually hard outer covering that encases certain organisms, such as mollusks, insects, and turtles; the carapace. A similar outer covering on an egg, fruit, or nut. The material that constitutes such a covering. An external, usually hard, protective or enclosing case or cover. A framework or exterior, as of a building. A thin layer of pastry. The external part of the ear. The hull of a ship. A light, long, narrow racing boat propelled by rowers. An artillery projectile containing an explosive charge. A metal or cardboard case containing the charge and primer for a piece of firearms ammunition, especially one also containing shot and fired from a shotgun. Any of the set of hypothetical spherical surfaces centered on the nucleus of an atom that contain the orbitals of electrons having the same principal quantum number. An analogous pattern of protons and neutrons within a nucleus. A usually sleeveless and collarless, typically knit blouse, often worn under another top. The outermost layer of a lined garment such as a coat or jacket: a parka with a waterproof shell. Something resembling or having the form of a shell, especially: An external, usually hard, protective or enclosing case or cover. A framework or exterior, as of a building. A thin layer of pastry. The external part of the ear. The hull of a ship. A light, long, narrow racing boat propelled by rowers. An artillery projectile containing an explosive charge. A metal or cardboard case containing the charge and primer for a piece of firearms ammunition, especially one also containing shot and fired from a shotgun. Any of the set of hypothetical spherical surfaces centered on the nucleus of an atom that contain the orbitals of electrons having the same principal quantum number. An analogous pattern of protons and neutrons within a nucleus. A usually sleeveless and collarless, typically knit blouse, often worn under another top. The outermost layer of a lined garment such as a coat or jacket: a parka with a waterproof shell. Nautical The hull of a ship. A light, long, narrow racing boat propelled by rowers. An artillery projectile containing an explosive charge. A metal or cardboard case containing the charge and primer for a piece of firearms ammunition, especially one also containing shot and fired from a shotgun. Any of the set of hypothetical spherical surfaces centered on the nucleus of an atom that contain the orbitals of electrons having the same principal quantum number. An analogous pattern of protons and neutrons within a nucleus. A usually sleeveless and collarless, typically knit blouse, often worn under another top. The outermost layer of a lined garment such as a coat or jacket: a parka with a waterproof shell. A small glass for beer. An artillery projectile containing an explosive charge. A metal or cardboard case containing the charge and primer for a piece of firearms ammunition, especially one also containing shot and fired from a shotgun. Any of the set of hypothetical spherical surfaces centered on the nucleus of an atom that contain the orbitals of electrons having the same principal quantum number. An analogous pattern of protons and neutrons within a nucleus. A usually sleeveless and collarless, typically knit blouse, often worn under another top. The outermost layer of a lined garment such as a coat or jacket: a parka with a waterproof shell. An attitude or a manner adopted to mask one's true feelings or to protect one from perceived or real danger. Physics Any of the set of hypothetical spherical surfaces centered on the nucleus of an atom that contain the orbitals of electrons having the same principal quantum number. An analogous pattern of protons and neutrons within a nucleus. A usually sleeveless and collarless, typically knit blouse, often worn under another top. The outermost layer of a lined garment such as a coat or jacket: a parka with a waterproof shell. A usually sleeveless and collarless, typically knit blouse, often worn under another top. The outermost layer of a lined garment such as a coat or jacket: a parka with a waterproof shell. Computer Science A program that works with the operating system as a command processor, used to enter commands and initiate their execution. A company or corporation with few or no assets or independent operations that is acquired by another company in order to allow the acquiring company to conduct business under the acquired company's legitimate legal standing. v.   shelled, shell·ing, shells v.   tr. To remove the shell of; shuck: shell oysters. To remove from a shell: shell peas. To defeat decisively. Baseball To hit the pitches of (a pitcher) hard and with regularity: shelled the pitcher for eight runs in the first inning. To separate the kernels of (corn) from the cob. To fire shells at; bombard. To defeat decisively. Baseball To hit the pitches of (a pitcher) hard and with regularity: shelled the pitcher for eight runs in the first inning. v.   intr. To shed or become free of a shell. To look for or collect shells, as on a seashore: spent the day shelling on Cape Cod. Phrasal Verb(s): shell out Informal To hand over; pay: had to shell out $500 in car repairs. [Middle English, from Old English scell; see skel-1 in Indo-European roots.] shell adj., shell'er n.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
shell  (n.)

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
shell  (v.)

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

shell
noun
1.	ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun
2.	the material that forms the hard outer covering of many animals
3.	hard outer covering or case of certain organisms such as arthropods and turtles [syn: carapace]
4.	the hard usually fibrous outer layer of some fruits especially nuts
5.	the exterior covering of a bird's egg
6.	a rigid covering that envelops an object; "the satellite is covered with a smooth shell of ice"
7.	a very light narrow racing boat
8.	the housing or outer covering of something; "the clock has a walnut case"
9.	a metal sheathing of uniform thickness (such as the shield attached to an artillery piece to protect the gunners) [syn: plate]
10.	the hard largely calcareous covering of a mollusc or a brachiopod
verb
1.	use explosives on; "The enemy has been shelling us all day" [syn: blast]
2.	create by using explosives; "blast a passage through the mountain" [syn: blast]
3.	fall out of the pod or husk; "The corn shelled"
4.	hit the pitches of hard and regularly; "He shelled the pitcher for eight runs in the first inning"
5.	look for and collect shells by the seashore
6.	come out better in a competition, race, or conflict; "Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championship"; "We beat the competition"; "Harvard defeated Yale in the last football game" [syn: beat]
7.	remove from its shell or outer covering; "shell the legumes"; "shell mussels"
8.	remove the husks from; "husk corn" [syn: husk]

American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

shell

In addition to the idiom beginning with shell, also see in one's shell.

The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

shell       (shěl)  Pronunciation Key  The usually hard outer covering of certain animals, such as mollusks, insects, and turtles. The hard outer covering of a bird's egg. The hard outer covering of a seed, nut, or fruit. A set of electron orbitals that have nearly the same energy. Electrons in outer shells have greater energy than those in shells closer to the nucleus. Elements in the Periodic Table range from the lightest elements with electrons normally occupying one shell (hydrogen and helium) to the heaviest, with electrons in seven shells (radium and uranium, for instance). See more at atomic spectrum, orbital, subshell. See Note at metal. Any of the stable states of other particles or collections of particles (such as the nucleons in an atomic nucleus) at a given energy or small range of energies. A set of electron orbitals that have nearly the same energy. Electrons in outer shells have greater energy than those in shells closer to the nucleus. Elements in the Periodic Table range from the lightest elements with electrons normally occupying one shell (hydrogen and helium) to the heaviest, with electrons in seven shells (radium and uranium, for instance). See more at atomic spectrum, orbital, subshell. See Note at metal. Any of the stable states of other particles or collections of particles (such as the nucleons in an atomic nucleus) at a given energy or small range of energies.

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

SHELL language
An early system on the Datatron 200 series.
[Listed in CACM 2(5):16 (May 1959)].
[The Jargon File]
(1995-05-11)

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

shell
1. (Originally from Multics, widely propagated via Unix) The command interpreter used to pass commands to an operating system; so called because it is the part of the operating system that interfaces with the outside world.
The commonest Unix shells are the c shell (csh) and the Bourne shell (sh).
2. (Or "wrapper") Any interface program that mediates access to a special resource or server for convenience, efficiency, or security reasons; for this meaning, the usage is usually "a shell around" whatever.
[The Jargon File]
(1995-05-11)

Jargon File - Cite This Source - Share This

shell

[orig. Multics n. techspeak, widely propagated via Unix]
1. [techspeak] The command interpreter used to pass commands to an operating system; so called because it is the part of the operating system that interfaces with the outside world.
2. More generally, any interface program that mediates access to a special resource or server for convenience, efficiency, or security reasons; for this meaning, the usage is usually `a shell around' whatever. This sort of program is also called a `wrapper'.
3. A skeleton program, created by hand or by another program (like, say, a parser generator), which provides the necessary incantations to set up some task and the control flow to drive it (the term driver is sometimes used synonymously). The user is meant to fill in whatever code is needed to get real work done. This usage is common in the AI and Microsoft Windows worlds, and confuses Unix hackers.

Historical note: Apparently, the original Multics shell (sense 1) was so called because it was a shell (sense 3); it ran user programs not by starting up separate processes, but by dynamically linking the programs into its own code, calling them as subroutines, and then dynamically de-linking them on return. The VMS command interpreter still does something very like this.

U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Shell Beach, CA Zip code(s): 93449

Shell Knob, MO Zip code(s): 65747

Shell Lake, WI (city, FIPS 73200) Location: 45.73859 N, 91.89909 W
Population (1990): 1161 (782 housing units)
Area: 16.0 sq km (land), 10.4 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 54871

Shell Rock, IA (city, FIPS 72435) Location: 42.71265 N, 92.58155 W
Population (1990): 1385 (542 housing units)
Area: 4.0 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 50670

Shell Point, SC (CDP, FIPS 65680) Location: 32.37871 N, 80.74936 W
Population (1990): 2885 (1078 housing units)
Area: 17.8 sq km (land), 4.2 sq km (water)

Shell Valley, ND (CDP, FIPS 72250) Location: 48.79792 N, 99.86433 W
Population (1990): 343 (90 housing units)
Area: 2.6 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

Shell, WY Zip code(s): 82441

Soft Shell, KY Zip code(s): 41831

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Shell

Shell\, n. 1. Something similar in form or action to an ordnance shell; specif.: (a) (Fireworks) A case or cartridge containing a charge of explosive material, which bursts after having been thrown high into the air. It is often elevated through the agency of a larger firework in which it is contained. (b) (Oil Wells) A torpedo.

2. A concave rough cast-iron tool in which a convex lens is ground to shape.

3. A gouge bit or shell bit.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Shell

Shell\, n. [OE. shelle, schelle, AS. scell, scyll; akin to D. shel, Icel. skel, Goth. skalja a tile, and E. skill. Cf. Scale of fishes, Shale, Skill.]

1. A hard outside covering, as of a fruit or an animal. Specifically: (a) The covering, or outside part, of a nut; as, a hazelnut shell. (b) A pod. (c) The hard covering of an egg.

Think him as a serpent's egg, . . . And kill him in the shell. --Shak. (d) (Zo["o]l.) The hard calcareous or chitinous external covering of mollusks, crustaceans, and some other invertebrates. In some mollusks, as the cuttlefishes, it is internal, or concealed by the mantle. Also, the hard covering of some vertebrates, as the armadillo, the tortoise, and the like. (e) (Zo["o]l.) Hence, by extension, any mollusks having such a covering.

2. (Mil.) A hollow projectile, of various shapes, adapted for a mortar or a cannon, and containing an explosive substance, ignited with a fuse or by percussion, by means of which the projectile is burst and its fragments scattered. See Bomb.

3. The case which holds the powder, or charge of powder and shot, used with breechloading small arms.

4. Any slight hollow structure; a framework, or exterior structure, regarded as not complete or filled in; as, the shell of a house.

5. A coarse kind of coffin; also, a thin interior coffin inclosed in a more substantial one. --Knight.

6. An instrument of music, as a lyre, -- the first lyre having been made, it is said, by drawing strings over a tortoise shell.

When Jubal struck the chorded shell. --Dryden.

7. An engraved copper roller used in print works.

8. pl. The husks of cacao seeds, a decoction of which is often used as a substitute for chocolate, cocoa, etc.

9. (Naut.) The outer frame or case of a block within which the sheaves revolve.

10. A light boat the frame of which is covered with thin wood or with paper; as, a racing shell.

Message shell, a bombshell inside of which papers may be put, in order to convey messages.

Shell bit, a tool shaped like a gouge, used with a brace in boring wood. See Bit, n., 3.

Shell button. (a) A button made of shell. (b) A hollow button made of two pieces, as of metal, one for the front and the other for the back, -- often covered with cloth, silk, etc.

Shell cameo, a cameo cut in shell instead of stone.

Shell flower. (Bot.) Same as Turtlehead.

Shell gland. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A glandular organ in which the rudimentary shell is formed in embryonic mollusks. (b) A glandular organ which secretes the eggshells of various worms, crustacea, mollusks, etc.

Shell gun, a cannon suitable for throwing shells.

Shell ibis (Zo["o]l.), the openbill of India.

Shell jacket, an undress military jacket.

Shell lime, lime made by burning the shells of shellfish.

Shell marl (Min.), a kind of marl characterized by an abundance of shells, or fragments of shells.

Shell meat, food consisting of shellfish, or testaceous mollusks. --Fuller.

Shell mound. See under Mound.

Shell of a boiler, the exterior of a steam boiler, forming a case to contain the water and steam, often inclosing also flues and the furnace; the barrel of a cylindrical, or locomotive, boiler.

Shell road, a road of which the surface or bed is made of shells, as oyster shells.

Shell sand, minute fragments of shells constituting a considerable part of the seabeach in some places.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Shell

Shell\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Shelling.]

1. To strip or break off the shell of; to take out of the shell, pod, etc.; as, to shell nuts or pease; to shell oysters.

2. To separate the kernels of (an ear of Indian corn, wheat, oats, etc.) from the cob, ear, or husk.

3. To throw shells or bombs upon or into; to bombard; as, to shell a town.

To shell out, to distribute freely; to bring out or pay, as money. [Colloq.]

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Shell

Shell\, v. i. 1. To fall off, as a shell, crust, etc.

2. To cast the shell, or exterior covering; to fall out of the pod or husk; as, nuts shell in falling.

3. To be disengaged from the ear or husk; as, wheat or rye shells in reaping.