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Synonyms

soft-shell

American  
[sawft-shel, soft-] / ˈsɔftˌʃɛl, ˈsɒft- /

adjective

  1. Also soft-shelled having a soft, flexible, or fragile shell, as a crab that has recently molted.

noun

  1. a soft-shell animal, especially a soft-shell crab.

Etymology

Origin of soft-shell

First recorded in 1795–1805

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I ordered a stir fry of crab and broken rice with greens and yam that came topped with a fried soft-shell crab drizzled with shito, a Ghanaian chili sauce.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

We gawked at the sea creatures — lobsters, soft-shell turtles, wriggling live eels — while she filled the cart.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2025

A couple models are sufficiently protective that the wearers don’t have to practice with Guardian Caps, the soft-shell covers that fit over standard helmets to provide additional cushion and protection.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2024

In the 1970s, soft-shell clams started mysteriously dying off in Maine and the Chesapeake Bay.

From New York Times • Oct. 2, 2023

“It’s soft-shell crab,” Grandma said, inching forward as the line did.

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.