abalone
[ab-uh-loh-nee]
- a large mollusk of the genus Haliotis, having a bowllike shell bearing a row of respiratory holes, the flesh of which is used for food and the shell for ornament and as a source of mother-of-pearl.
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Origin of abalone
1840–50, Americanism; taken as singular of California Spanish abulones, plural of abulón, aulón < a word in Rumsen, a Costanoan language formerly spoken at Monterey, California
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for abalones
Historical Examples
The rocks were full of abalones and my bag was soon filling rapidly.
Bert Wilson's Twin Cylinder RacerJ. W. Duffield
God willing, we shall eat Carmel mussels and abalones in May or June.
The Letters of Ambrose BierceAmbrose Bierce
With love to Carrie, I will leave you to your sea-gardens and abalones.
The Letters of Ambrose BierceAmbrose Bierce
The abalones are as large as steaks, and a great deal tougher.
In the Footprints of the PadresCharles Warren Stoddard
From there it was only a stone's throw to the beach where the mussels and abalones clung so thickly to the rocks.
El DiabloBrayton Norton
abalone
- any of various edible marine gastropod molluscs of the genus Haliotis, having an ear-shaped shell that is perforated with a row of respiratory holes. The shells are used for ornament or decorationAlso called: ear shell See also ormer
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Word Origin
C19: from American Spanish abulón; origin unknown
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for abalones
abalone
n.
type of marine shell, 1850, American English, from Spanish abulon from Costanoan (a California coastal Indian language family) aluan "red abalone."
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper