shell

SHELL, noun 1. The hard and stony covering of certain fruits and of certain animals; as the shell of a nut; the shell of an oyster or lobster. the shells of animals are crustaceous or testaceous; crustaceous as that of the lobster, and testaceous as that of the oyster and clam. 2. The outer coat of an egg. 3. The outer part of a house unfinished. We say of a building that wants the interior timbers or finishing, that it is a mere shell. 4. An instrument of music, like testudo in Latin; the first lyre being make, it is said, by drawing strings over a tortoise shell 5. Oute ror superficial part; as the shell of religion. 6. A bomb. Fossil shells, dug up from the earth. SHELL, verb transitive 1. To strip or break off the shell; or to take out of the shell; as, to shell nuts or almonds. 2. To separate from the ear; as, to shell maiz. SHELL, verb intransitive 1. To fall off, as a shell crust or exterior coat. 2. To cast the shell or exterior covering. Nuts shell in falling. 3. To be disengaged from the husk; as, wheat or rye shells in reaping.