shellfish

[shel-fish]

noun

plural

shellfish ,

plural

shellfishes .

1. an aquatic animal having a shell, as the oyster and other mollusks and the lobster and other crustaceans.

shellfish

/ ˈʃɛlˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. any aquatic invertebrate having a shell or shell-like carapace, esp such an animal used as human food. Examples are crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters and molluscs such as oysters

Word History and Origins

Origin of shellfish¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English scilfisc. See shell, fish

Example Sentences

He added passengers jokingly pointed out the "shellfish" crab had its feet on the seat, while others called out the crabby commuter for fare dodging.

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I can’t eat pork or shellfish, so whatever falls within the electric fence, my lapsing Judaism.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“It’s All Good” recommends cutting coffee, sugar, wheat, eggs, meat, shellfish, potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant and corn.

Read more on Salon

Some fishermen in south-west England say an "invasion" of octopus and a local bylaw are "decimating" the Devon shellfish industry.

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Morgan argued that the Welsh shellfish industry, "which is actually much greater than our fisheries industry sector, are very happy".

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Related Words

• clam 
• conch 
• crawfish 
• crustacean 
• lobster 
• mollusk 
• mussel 
• oyster 
• prawn 
• scallop 
• shrimp 
• snail