eggshell

From Middle English eggeshell, ege schelle, egg-shel, egg shelle (also as Middle English eye schell, ey-schel, ey-schelle), partially continuing Old English ǣġsċill, ǣġsċyll (“eggshell”), equivalent to egg +‎ shell. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Oaierskil (“eggshell”), Dutch eierschaal (“eggshell”), German Eierschale (“eggshell”), Danish æggeskal (“eggshell”), Swedish äggskal (“eggshell”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛɡʃɛl/

• Audio (Southern England)

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eggshell (plural eggshells)

1. The shell around an egg.
   • 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 380:

     Like Egge-ſhels mou'd upon their Surges, crack'd / As eaſily ’gainſt our Rockes.

2. (color) A pale off-white colour, like that of the eggshell.

   eggshell:  

• eggshellful
• eggshell blue
• eggshell rule
• walk on eggshells

eggshell (comparative more eggshell, superlative most eggshell)

1. (color) Of a pale yellowish-whitish colour, like that of the eggshell.
2. Exhibiting the thinness, translucency or near-transparency, and fragility of an eggshell.

   eggshell porcelain

3. Very matt, having a low reflexivity, like an eggshell.

   This clear varnish is available in gloss, matt and eggshell finishes.

• Appendix:Colors

• eggshell on Wikipedia.Wikipedia