Phrase guide

electron shell

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The collective states of all electrons in an atom having the same principal quantum number (visualized as an orbit in which the electrons move).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a grouping of electrons surrounding the nucleus of an atom

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the chemical properties of an atom are determined by the outermost electron shell

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: group, grouping

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: електронна обвивка (elektronna obvivka) — type of nebula
  • German: Atomhülle — type of nebula
  • German: Elektronenhülle — type of nebula
  • Malay: petala elektron — type of nebula
  • Persian: لایه الکترونی (lâye-ye elekteroni) — type of nebula
  • Swedish: elektronskal — type of nebula