SHELL, n.

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.

1. The hard or 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 made, it is said, by drawing strings over a tortoise-shell. – Dryden.
5. Outer or superficial part; as, the shell of religion. – Ayliffe.
6. A bomb. Fossil shells, shells dug from the earth.

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.

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.

1. A hard outside covering, as of a fruit or an animal.
   
   
   Specifically: (a)
2. 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.
3. To fall off, as a shell, crust, etc.
4. Something similar in form or action to an ordnance shell;
   
   
   specif.: (a) (Fireworks)
5. 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.
6. To separate the kernels of (an ear of Indian corn, wheat, oats, etc.) from the cob, ear, or husk.
7. To cast the shell, or exterior covering; to fall out of the pod or husk; as, nuts shell in falling.
8. A concave rough cast-iron tool in which a convex lens is ground to shape.
9. The case which holds the powder, or charge of powder and shot, used with breechloading small arms.
10. 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.]

11. To be disengaged from the ear or husk; as, wheat or rye shells in reaping.
12. A gouge bit or shell bit.
13. Any slight hollow structure; a framework, or exterior structure, regarded as not complete or filled in; as, the shell of a house.
14. A coarse kind of coffin; also, a thin interior coffin inclosed in a more substantial one.
    
    
    Knight.
15. 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.

16. An engraved copper roller used in print works.
17. The husks of cacao seeds, a decoction of which is often used as a substitute for chocolate, cocoa, etc.
18. The outer frame or case of a block within which the sheaves revolve.
19. 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. (Zoöl.) (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 (Zoöl.), 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.