a hard outer covering of an animal, as the hard case of a mollusk, or either half of the case of a bivalve mollusk.
2.
any of various objects resembling such a covering, as in shape or in being more or less concave or hollow.
3.
the material constituting any of various coverings of this kind.
4.
the hard exterior of an egg.
5.
the usually hard, outer covering of a seed, fruit, or the like, as the hard outside portion of a nut, the pod of peas, etc.
6.
a hard, protecting or enclosing case or cover.
7.
an attitude or manner of reserve that usually conceals one's emotions, thoughts, etc.: One could not penetrate his shell.
8.
a hollow projectile for a cannon, mortar, etc., filled with an explosive charge designed to explode during flight, upon impact, or after penetration.
9.
a metallic cartridge used in small arms and small artillery pieces.
10.
a metal or paper cartridge, as for use in a shotgun.
11.
a cartridgelike pyrotechnic device that explodes in the air.
12.
shells, Italian Cookery. small pieces of pasta having the shape of a shell.
13.
the lower pastry crust of a pie, tart, or the like, baked before the filling is added.
14.
Computers. a program providing a menu-driven or graphical user interface designed to simplify use of the operating system, as in loading application programs.
15.
Physics.
a.
any of up to seven energy levels on which an electron may exist within an atom, the energies of the electrons on the same level being equal and on different levels being unequal.
b.
a group of nucleons of approximately the same energy.
16.
a light, long, narrow racing boat, for rowing by one or more persons.
17.
the outer part of a finished garment that has a lining, esp. a detachable lining.
18.
a woman's sleeveless blouse or sweater, esp. one meant for wear under a suit jacket.
19.
Nautical. the plating, planking, or the like, covering the ribs and forming the exterior hull of a vessel.
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.
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.
[shel] 
