抜け殻

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 抜け殻(ぬけがら) is a shell or skin left behind after an insect or similar creature sheds it.
• Basic usage: It is used for a cicada shell on a tree and figuratively for a person drained of energy.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• The combined reading of 殻
  • 殻(から), meaning shell, follows 抜け and is read がら in this word.