shellback

[ shel-bak ]
See synonyms for shellback on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an old sailor.

  2. a person who has crossed the equator by boat.

Origin of shellback

1
First recorded in 1880–85; shell + back1

Words Nearby shellback

Other definitions for shell back (2 of 2)

shell back

noun
  1. an underside of a spoon bowl ornamented with a shell motif.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use shellback in a sentence

  • Skinner, you don't suppose Matt's like every other shellback of a skipper?

    Cappy Ricks Retires | Peter B. Kyne

British Dictionary definitions for shellback

shellback

/ (ˈʃɛlˌbæk) /


noun
  1. informal a sailor who has crossed the equator: Compare polliwog (def. 2)

  2. an experienced or old sailor

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012