eggshell
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eggshell — egg shell , a. 1. of a pale, yellowish white color; as, an eggshell ceiling and light green walls. [1913 Webster +PJC] 2. (Architecture) having a smooth but not glossy texture like that of a hen s egg; as, a latex paint giving an eggshell finish … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
eggshell — egg shell , n. 1. The shell or exterior covering of an egg. Also used figuratively for anything resembling an eggshell. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) A smooth, white, marine, gastropod shell of the genus {Ovulum}, resembling an egg in form. [1913… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
eggshell — [eg′shel΄] n. the hard, brittle outer covering of an egg of a reptile, bird, or monotreme adj. 1. fragile and thin, like eggshell 2. yellowish white … English World dictionary
eggshell — early 15c., from EGG (Cf. egg) (n.) + SHELL (Cf. shell). Earlier ay schelle (c.1300). Emblematic of thin and delicate from 1835; as a color term, from 1894. The figure of treading on eggshells to move cautiously is attested by 1734 … Etymology dictionary
eggshell — ► NOUN 1) the thin, hard, fragile outer layer of an egg. 2) (before another noun ) (of china) extremely thin and delicate. 3) (before another noun ) denoting an oil based paint that dries with a slight sheen … English terms dictionary
Eggshell — The term eggshell is a term for the outer covering of a hard shelled egg, and some forms of eggs with soft outer coats.The generalized eggshell structure, which varies widely among species, is a protein matrix lined with mineral crystals, usually … Wikipedia
eggshell — I UK [ˈeɡˌʃel] / US noun Word forms eggshell : singular eggshell plural eggshells 1) [countable] the hard outside layer of an egg 2) [uncountable] a type of paint that is slightly shiny II UK [ˈeɡˌʃel] / US adjective like an eggshell, for example … English dictionary
eggshell — egg|shell1 [ eg,ʃel ] noun 1. ) count the hard outside layer of an egg 2. ) uncount MAINLY BRITISH a type of paint that is only slightly shiny eggshell egg|shell 2 [ eg,ʃel ] adjective like an eggshell, for example white yellow in color, not very … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
eggshell — [[t]e̱gʃel[/t]] eggshells (The spelling egg shell is also used for meaning 1.) 1) N VAR An eggshell is the hard covering on the outside of an egg. 2) ADJ: usu ADJ n Eggshell paint makes surfaces dull, not shiny, when it is painted on them. The… … English dictionary
eggshell — /eg shel /, n. 1. the shell of a bird s egg, consisting of keratin fibers and calcite crystals. 2. a pale yellowish white color. 3. rather bulky paper having a slightly rough finish. adj. 4. like an eggshell, as in thinness and delicacy; very… … Universalium
