nautilus

American  

[nawt-l-uhs, not-] / ˈnɔt l əs, ˈnɒt- /

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.

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nautilus British  

/ ˈnɔːtɪləs /

noun

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

2. short for paper nautilus

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Etymology

Origin of nautilus

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

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.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2025

The results suggest nautilus shells, orderly yet beguilingly sinuous.

From Washington Post • Feb. 24, 2023

Her shapes can resemble a nautilus, an eyeball, lungs or a black hole, with delicate lines milling about.

From New York Times • Jun. 24, 2022

In other words, the Fibonacci spiral evidence in a nautilus shell or a head of Romanesco broccoli is a byproduct of nature being efficient in its genetic code.

From Salon • Mar. 20, 2022

James had a nautilus disposition, burrowing into his private appetites, but Terrance inflicted every fleeting and deep-seated fancy on all in his power.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead