Collocations for shell - noun
1. on eggs/nuts/some animals
ADJ.
broken, empty, hard, outer, protective, thick
(figurative) She had built up a protective shell of indifference around herself.
(figurative) She had built up a protective shell of indifference around herself.
egg (also ‘eggshell’) | cockle, conch, cowrie, fossil, mollusc, mussel, oyster, scallop, sea (also ‘seashell’), snail
The garden was littered with empty snail shells.
The garden was littered with empty snail shells.
coconut, walnut
VERB + SHELL
have
creatures that have shells
creatures that have shells
come out of, emerge from
(often figurative) He''s really come out of his shell since he met Marie.
(often figurative) He''s really come out of his shell since he met Marie.
go (back) into, retreat into, withdraw into
The snail went back into its shell.
The snail went back into its shell.
remove sth from
Remove the mussels from their shells.
Remove the mussels from their shells.
2. explosive weapon
ADJ.
heavy | unexploded | anti-aircraft, artillery, cannon, howitzer, mortar
VERB + SHELL
load | fire
SHELL + VERB
fall, land | blow up, burst, crash, explode | hit sth, strike sth
Two shells hit the roof.
Two shells hit the roof.
blow sth apart/off, blow sb/sth up
SHELL + NOUN
fire
They braved heavy shell fire to rescue the wounded.
They braved heavy shell fire to rescue the wounded.
case/casing, fragments, splinter | crater, hole
3. outer walls of a building
ADJ.
concrete | burnt-out, empty, hollow
The fire reduced the school to a hollow shell.
The fire reduced the school to a hollow shell.