hard outer covering or case of certain organisms such as arthropods and turtles;
the hard largely calcareous covering of a mollusc;
a metal sheathing of uniform thickness (such as the shield attached to an artillery piece to protect the gunners);
ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun;
the housing or outer covering of something; "the clock has a walnut case";
a very light narrow racing boat;
a rigid covering that envelops an object; "the satellite is covered with a smooth shell of ice";
the exterior covering of a bird''s egg;
the hard usually fibrous outer layer of some fruits especially nuts;
the material that forms the hard outer covering of many animals;
remove the husks from; "husk corn";
remove from its shell or outer covering; "shell the legumes"; "shell mussels";
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";
use explosives on; "The enemy has been shelling us all day";
look for and collect shells by the seashore;
hit the pitches of hard and regularly; "He shelled the pitcher for eight runs in the first inning";
