seashell

Everyday

The hard empty shell of a sea animal, such as a snail, clam, mussel or scallop, often found on the beach. tree →

In the lessons

In science, seashells are the outer skeletons of molluscs; they are made mostly of calcium carbonate. On beach days children collect, sort and count shells. In literacy, the tongue twister «She sells seashells by the seashore». Phrases: «collect seashells», «hold a seashell to your ear».

Examples

• We collected seashells on the beach. tree →
• She sells seashells by the seashore. tree →
• Hold a seashell to your ear and you seem to hear the sea. tree →
• Hermit crabs live in old seashells. tree →
• We sorted the seashells by size and colour. tree →
• The seashell was spiral like a snail's. tree →
• Disappearing within his teepee, he came out again with some huge seashells. tree →

Note

Countable; one word (also «sea shell»). Myth: the «sea sound» in a shell is not the ocean — it is the noise around you echoing inside the shell. Kindness to nature: in some places taking shells from beaches is not allowed.