nautilus

[nawt-l-uhs, not-]

noun

plural

nautiluses, nautili 

1. Also called chambered nautilus, pearly nautilus. any cephalopod of the genus Nautilus, having a spiral, chambered shell with pearly septa.

2. paper nautilus.

3. (initial capital letter),  the first nuclear-powered submarine launched by the U.S. Navy.

nautilus

/ ˈnɔːtɪləs /

noun

1. any cephalopod mollusc of the genus Nautilus, esp the pearly nautilus

2. short for paper nautilus

Word History and Origins

Origin of nautilus¹

1595–1605; < Latin < Greek nautílos paper nautilus, literally, sailor, derivative of naûs ship; the webbed dorsal arms of the paper nautilus were thought to have been used as sails

Word History and Origins

Origin of nautilus¹

C17: via Latin from Greek nautilos sailor, from naus ship

Example Sentences

Agnoli, who worked as a carpenter prior to entering architecture, used long spans of wood to create massive trusses and spiraling nautilus shapesand formed brick into catenary arches.

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The results suggest nautilus shells, orderly yet beguilingly sinuous.

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The storm had twisted the structure's metal roof like a nautilus shell and rolled it out into the street.

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“It actually drives me nuts that people call them ‘paper nautilus,’” Dr. Vecchione said.

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Next to the glass, a small wooden bookshelf in the shape of a nautilus shell holds a curved spiral of librex.

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