Meaning & use
unshelled
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
Still having a natural outer shell or pod; not removed from the shell.
Grammar: Describes a noun; it does not usually take 'very' or comparative forms.
Patterns
- unshelled nuts
- unshelled peanuts
- buy something unshelled
We bought a bag of unshelled peanuts for the party.
Unshelled walnuts keep fresh longer than shelled ones.
The recipe calls for unshelled shrimp, so you'll need to peel them.
Common combinations
- unshelled nuts
- She cracked the unshelled nuts with a nutcracker.
- unshelled peanuts
- The birds love unshelled peanuts from the feeder.
- unshelled shrimp
- The market sells unshelled shrimp by the pound.
- buy something unshelled
- It's cheaper to buy unshelled sunflower seeds.
Synonyms and how they differ
- in the shell
- A phrase meaning the same, often used for seafood; 'unshelled' is a single adjective that can describe nuts and seeds too.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: unshelled or shelled?
unshelled vs shelled
Means the shell has been removed, the opposite of 'unshelled'. Check the prefix carefully.
Practice
Which of these is 'unshelled'?
Choose one answer.
'Unshelled' means the shell is still on, so a peanut still inside its shell is unshelled. A peanut with the shell removed is shelled. Roasting and salting do not affect whether it is shelled or unshelled.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unshelled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.