1
: having a shell especially of a specified kind
often used in combination
pink-shelled
thick-shelled
2
a
: having the shell removed
shelled nuts
b
: removed from the cob
shelled corn

Examples of shelled in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Mussel toast—a thick wedge of bread spread with aioli and piled high with shelled molluscs and doused in a tomato-tinged sauce—is effectively a bowl of cioppino (there’s the Bay Area, again) minus the broth. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 26 Nov. 2023 Burtka opted for the likeness of Poseidon the god of the sea, carrying a trident and wearing shelled armor. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 31 Oct. 2023 The latest history-making report on the shelled creatures comes out of Texas, where the number of green sea turtle nests have broken records. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2023 If king crabs reach the shelf waters of Antarctica, their impact on prey populations such as clams, snails and other shelled invertebrates could be catastrophic. Dr. James McClintock, al, 26 Jan. 2023 The shelled wall faced separatist territory — but that did not stop an online disinformation campaign by pro-Moscow figures who circulated images of the kindergarten with construction machinery added digitally to suggest the machine punched the hole. Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2022 Fractured shells from ammonites (ancient shelled cephalopods, similar to today’s Nautilus) were the most common remains present. Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 14 Mar. 2023 Most of Ukraine’s ravaged cultural sites are like the shelled Reims Cathedral: perhaps not directly targeted, but destroyed with ruthless unconcern. Jason Farago, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2022 One of our favorite hard-shelled suitcases, The Diplomat is the brand's largest four-wheel trunk. Madison Flager, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shelled.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shelled was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near shelled

Cite this Entry

“Shelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shelled. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

shelled

adjective
1
: having a shell especially of a specified kind
pink-shelled
hard-shelled
2
a
: having the shell removed
shelled nuts
shelled oysters
b
: removed from the cob
shelled corn
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