whelk
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of whelk1
before 900; late Middle English, aspirated variant of Middle English welk, Old English weoloc
Origin of whelk2
before 1000; Middle English whelke, Old English hwylca, hwelca; akin to wheal
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Tiny baby oysters, called spat, are attached to whelk shells and placed in the bay near the existing cages to further stabilize the shoreline.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 28, 2022
It reported the boat was regularly "operated in an unsafe manner", with the priority on carrying a large whelk catch, rather than on making sure it was stable at sea.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2022
In the 1990s, the population of horseshoe crabs along the East Coast was decimated by fishermen who used them as bait to catch eel and corner the lucrative market for whelk or conch.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 30, 2021
As a fierce wind sent his hair flying around his face, he pointed out some of the little things he loved: a clump of pink sea thrift, a tiny whelk.
From New York Times ● Jul. 7, 2021
It was using an old whelk shell for a nursery.
From Within the Deep Cassell's "Eyes and No Eyes" Series, Book VIII. by R. Cadwallader Smith
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