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.

The outer coat of an egg.

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.

An instrument of music, like testudo in Latin; the first lyre being make, it is said, by drawing strings over a tortoise shell.

Oute ror superficial part; as the shell of religion.

A bomb. Fossil shells, dug up from the earth.

To strip or break off the shell; or to take out of the shell; as, to shell nuts or almonds.

To separate from the ear; as, to shell maiz.

To fall off, as a shell, crust or exterior coat.

To cast the shell or exterior covering. Nuts shell in falling.

To be disengaged from the husk; as, wheat or rye shells in reaping.