nautiloid

[ nawt-l-oid ]

noun

1. a mollusk of the subclass Nautiloidea, including nautiluses and many fossil species that were abundant in the Ordovician and Silurian periods.

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to a nautiloid.

nautiloid

/ ˈnɔːtɪˌlɔɪd /

noun

1. any mollusc of the Nautiloidea, a group of cephalopods that includes the pearly nautilus and many extinct forms

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Nautiloidea

nautiloid

/ nôt′l-oid′ /

1. Any of various cephalopod mollusks of the subclass Nautiloidea, having a straight or coiled shell divided internally into a series of chambers of increasing size connected by a central tube. The nautiloids include the modern nautiluses as well as numerous extinct species dating back as far as the Cambrian Period.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nautiloid¹

First recorded in 1720–30; nautil(us) ( def ) + -oid ( def )

Example Sentences

Cephalic shield pointed behind; shell internal, chiefly membranous, with calcified nucleus, nautiloid; parapodia forming fins.

From Project Gutenberg

The remarkable group of the Trilobites had precedence in order of time of the Nautiloid shell-fishes.

From Project Gutenberg

He referred also to the nautiloid shell of the larva falling to one side.

From Project Gutenberg