shells
Beach collection finds
Shells are the hard outer coverings of mollusks, eggs, nuts, and seeds—anything with a protective casing that must be cracked or removed.
By extension, shell describes hollow structures: a building's shell remains after fire guts the interior; an artillery shell is a hollow projectile filled with explosives.
To shell peas is to remove them from pods; to shell a city is to bombard it.
A shell can be a person's withdrawn exterior: She retreated into her shell.
In computing, a shell is the interface between user and operating system.
To shell out is to pay, often reluctantly.
Spiral-shelled marine gastropod
- scallopFan-shaped edible shellfish
- clamSand-dwelling hinged shellfish
- oysterPearl-bearing edible mollusk
- nautilusChambered marine mollusk
bivalve · abalone · mussel · cockle · whelk · cowrie · periwinkle · cephalopod
Encased charges for firing
- casingsProtective outer covers
- brassCopper-zinc metal mixture
- roundsAmmunition or bout divisions
- caliberBore diameter or quality
buckshot · slug · shotshell · spent · ejected · hull · gauge · rimfire
Protective dorsal exoskeleton
- exoskeletonExternal skeletal structure
- chitinArthropod shell polymer
- armorProtective combat covering
- tortoiseLand-dwelling shelled reptile
turtle · snail · crab · crustacean · lobster · hermit · shed · hardened
Extinct spiral-shelled cephalopod
- trilobiteExtinct segmented marine arthropod
- petrifiedSolidified or fear-paralyzed
- brachiopodHinged-shell marine invertebrate
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
strata · paleontology · Cretaceous · Jurassic · imprint · calcified · mineralized · excavation
Empty within
- casingEnclosing cover or frame
- huskDry seed covering
- hullOuter covering or frame
- podSeed case or cetacean group
outer · framework · empty · vessel · cavity · covering · enclosure · exterior
Lightweight racing rowboat
- eightNumber after seven
- quadEnclosed campus lawn
- crewWorking team aboard
- coxswainBoat steerer and commander
regatta · oar · rigger · stroke · bow · racing · sweep · lightweight
conch
Spiral-shelled marine gastropod
- scallopFan-shaped edible shellfish
- clamSand-dwelling hinged shellfish
- oysterPearl-bearing edible mollusk
nautilus · bivalve · abalone · mussel · cockle · whelk · cowrie · periwinkle · cephalopod · gastropod
cartridges
Encased charges for firing
caliber · buckshot · slug · shotshell · spent · ejected · hull · gauge · rimfire · centerfire
carapace
Protective dorsal exoskeleton
- exoskeletonExternal skeletal structure
- chitinArthropod shell polymer
- armorProtective combat covering
tortoise · turtle · snail · crab · crustacean · lobster · hermit · shed · hardened · calcified
ammonite
Extinct spiral-shelled cephalopod
- trilobiteExtinct segmented marine arthropod
- petrifiedSolidified or fear-paralyzed
- brachiopodHinged-shell marine invertebrate
sediment · strata · paleontology · Cretaceous · Jurassic · imprint · calcified · mineralized · excavation · prehistoric
hollow
Empty within
pod · outer · framework · empty · vessel · cavity · covering · enclosure · exterior · layer
scull
Lightweight racing rowboat
coxswain · regatta · oar · rigger · stroke · bow · racing · sweep · lightweight · collegiate
sand
Fine rock particles
- tideOcean's cyclical swell
- beachcombingSearching shores for flotsam
- driftwoodSea-delivered shore lumber
shoreline · seagulls · starfish · crabs · pebbles · collecting · scattered · broken · washed-up · treasure
beads
Small pierced ornaments for stringing
mosaic · cameo · carved · polished · decorative · craft · pendant · windchime · buttons · puka
- beachbeach, sand, wave, waves, surf
- moneydollar, euro, coin, cash, pound
- natural historynatural history, natural history museum, naturalist, naturalists, natural philosophers
- pastaspaghetti, penne, rigatoni, fusilli, farfalle
- wartimerationing, war economy, war bonds, war effort, evacuations
- ancient materialsflint, bone, stone, wood, antler
- shell outPay, often unwillingly
- shell corporationsLegally registered but inactive businesses
- taco shellFried tortilla container
- camper shellRigid truck bed enclosure
- shelling outSpending money, often reluctantly
- shell gameStreet swindle with cups
shell, eggshell, shellfish, seashell, shelled, shelling, shell out, nutshell, unshelled