To have to pay for something.
Shell-out
To have to pay for something.
Example Sentences
"I had to shell out fifty quid."
"Time to shell out for dinner."
Etymology & History
From extracting meat from a shell, or from "shelling" nuts (getting to the valuable part). Extended to paying money out in the 19th century.
Word Details
📍
Region
General British
📅
Era
Victorian
✓
Language
Mild
💬
Formality
Informal
Categories:
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Anglotopia's Dictionary of British English 2nd Edition
British Slang from A to Zed
By Jonathan Thomas
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