soft-shelledadj.
/ˈsɒf(t)ʃɛld/, U.S. /ˈsɔf(t)ˌʃɛld/, /ˈsɑf(t)ˌʃɛld/ 1. Having a soft shell. Chiefly in the names of animals, esp. a softshell turtle or the softshell clam. Cf. softshell adj. 1.
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the world > life > biology > physical aspects or shapes > specific areas or structures > [adjective] > outer covering > having or like a shell
shellc1440
shelled1577
shelly1593
hard-shelled1599
soft-shelled1611
thick-shelleda1657
the world > animals > animal body > general parts > covering or skin > [adjective] > having a hard protective covering > having a shell > having a soft shell
soft-shelled1611
softshell1670
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Harde, a soft-sheld egge.
1772 Philos. Trans. 1771 (Royal Soc.) 61 267 We call it the soft shelled Turtle.
1796 in Rec. Smithtown, N.Y. (1898) 129 Any person not an inhabitant..taking Soft shelled clams within the limits of said Town shall pay six pence for every bushel.
1835 J. J. Audubon Ornithol. Biogr. III. 239 He knows..how to watch the soft-shelled turtle's crawl.
1856 Ann. Rep. Commissioner Patents 1855: Agric. p. xviii, in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (34th Congr., 1st Sess.: House of Representatives Executive Doc. No. 12) VI. The ‘soft-shelled’ almond..is the variety recently introduced and distributed by this Office.
1880 Cassell's Nat. Hist. IV. 256 The other Soft-shelled Tortoise (Trionyx ferox)..is a voracious animal.
1884 R. Rathbun in G. B. Goode et al. Fisheries U.S.: Sect. I 776 The common edible Crab or Blue Crab—Callinectes hastatus... These ‘soft-shelled Crabs’ are much esteemed by many.
1924 C. Thom Hygienic Fundamentals Food Handling ii. 179 The soft-shelled or long-neck clam of New England and the Pacific Northwest (Mya arenaria).
1948 F. N. Howes Nuts 110 It is usual to classify almonds according to the thickness of the shell—thin- or paper-shelled, soft-shelled and thick- or hard-shelled.
1962 E. Gibbons Stalking Wild Asparagus (1970) 268 The Painted Terrapin, Diamond-Back Terrapin, soft-shelled Turtle and several other species will furnish material for the finest soups and stews.
2012 Your Chickens Apr. 17/1 It does no harm to provide additional calcium in this way if you have issues with soft-shelled eggs.
2. Originally and chiefly U.S. That adopts or advocates a moderate course or policy in politics or religion; = softshell adj. 2 Chiefly in soft-shelled Baptist n. = softshell Baptist n. at softshell adj. and n. Compounds.
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the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > restrained or moderate behaviour > [adjective] > that adopts a moderate course or policy
softshell1844
soft-shelled1849
1849 Holden's Dollar Mag. Apr. 246/1 If we attempted to classify the journalists, we should simply divide them as they do almonds and Baptists at the South, into hard-shelled and soft-shelled.
1867 J. R. Dickinson in D. S. Dickinson Speeches, Corr. I. 394 The ‘Softs’ or ‘Soft-shelled Democrats’ were those who, after the secession, were anxious to bring about a re-union.
1890 Daily News 4 Feb. 5/3 Dissentient Liberals of the soft-shelled species.
1906 Home Mission Monthly Dec. 26/2 We worshipped for the first time with the Soft-Shelled Baptists.
2002 J. Alter & J. W. Lee Literary Fort Worth p. xvi J. Frank Norris..kept the soft-shelled Baptists in an uproar for decades.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1611