shell
n. · v. · phr.v.-
1 animal/egg/nut covering (n.) A2 Elementarythe hard outer part that protects some animals, eggs, or nuts.
the hard, protective external covering of a mollusc, crustacean, bird's egg, or nut.
ExampleThe children collected beautiful white shells on the beach.
ExampleThe turtle retreated into its shell as soon as it sensed the vibration of approaching footsteps.
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2 explosive weapon (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea metal container filled with explosives that is fired from a large gun.
a hollow projectile containing an explosive charge, typically fired by artillery or mortars.
ExampleThe soldiers loaded the heavy shells into the cannon.
ExampleThe coastal battery was equipped to fire high-explosive shells capable of reaching targets several miles out at sea.
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3 empty structure (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatethe basic outer frame of a building or object without the inside parts.
the external framework or walls of a structure, especially one that is unfinished or has been gutted.
ExampleAfter the fire, only the brick shell of the house remained.
ExampleThe developers purchased the industrial shell and planned to convert the interior into modern luxury lofts.
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4 computing interface (n.) C1 Advanced Technical Computinga program that lets a user talk to a computer by typing commands.
a software interface that provides access to an operating system's services, often via a command-line interpreter.
ExampleYou can type the command directly into the shell to move the file.
ExampleExperienced administrators often prefer working in a Unix shell because it allows for complex automation through scripting.
- terminal
- command line
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5 to remove a covering (v.) B1 Intermediate Cookingto take the hard outer part off something, like peas or nuts.
to remove the pod, husk, or shell from a seed or fruit.
ExampleWe sat on the porch and shelled peas for dinner.
ExampleThe recipe requires you to shell the pistachios before grinding them into a fine paste for the cake.
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6 to attack with explosives (v.) B2 Upper Intermediateto fire large guns or explosives at a place.
to bombard a location with artillery shells.
ExampleThe navy began to shell the enemy's fort from the sea.
ExampleThe city was shelled for three consecutive days, forcing the civilian population to seek refuge in underground bunkers.
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7 to pay money (phr.v.) B2 Upper Intermediate Informalto pay for something, especially when it is expensive or you do not want to.
to disburse a significant amount of money, typically with a sense of reluctance or obligation.
ExampleI had to shell out a lot of money to fix my car.
ExampleHomeowners often have to shell out thousands of dollars for unexpected repairs when purchasing an older property.
UsageAlways used as 'shell out'.
From Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH- ("to split, cleave"), the root threaded through Germanic sound laws to yield Proto-Germanic skaljō, Proto-West Germanic *skallju, Old English sċiell, and Middle English schelle. The cognates are scattered: West Frisian skyl ("peel, rind"), Dutch schil ("peel, skin, rind"), Low German Schell ("shell, scale"), Irish scelec ("pebble"), and Old Church Slavonic сколика (skolika, "shell"). The sense of something split off or separated — a hard outer covering that cleaves from what it encloses — has remained stable across two millennia.
A doublet, sheal, survives in dialectal use.
The computing sense, emerging in the mid-twentieth century, borrows the metaphor of an outer boundary: the shell as interface, mediating between user and operating-system internals.