cephalopod

American  

[sef-uh-luh-pod] / ˈsɛf ə ləˌpɒd /

noun

1. any mollusk of the class Cephalopoda, having tentacles attached to the head, including the cuttlefish, squid, and octopus.

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adjective

1. Also cephalopodic, cephalopodous belonging or pertaining to the Cephalopoda.

cephalopod British  

/ ˈsɛfələˌpɒd /

noun

1. any marine mollusc of the class Cephalopoda , characterized by well-developed head and eyes and a ring of sucker-bearing tentacles. The group also includes the octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, and pearly nautilus

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Cephalopoda

cephalopod Scientific  

/ sĕf′ə-lə-pŏd′ /

1. Any of various marine mollusks of the class Cephalopoda, having long tentacles around the mouth, a large head, a pair of large eyes, and a sharp beak. Cephalopods have the most highly developed nervous system of all invertebrates. Many cephalopods squirt a cloud of dark inky liquid to confuse predators. Cephalopods include the octopus, squid, cuttlefish, and nautilus, and the extinct ammonites, belemnites, and other nautiloids.

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Other Word Forms

• cephalopodan
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cephalopod

1820–30; < New Latin Cephalopoda; see cephalo-, -pod

Explanation

Ocean animals that have a head and tentacles are cephalopods. The largest-known cephalopod is the colossal squid, which lives in the deepest part of the ocean and can grow to nearly 50 feet long. Scientists are just beginning to understand how intelligent cephalopods are, after centuries of assuming their simple nervous systems meant they were simple creatures. Octopuses are probably the smartest of this marine mollusk class, able to solve puzzles and mazes and escape from just about any container. All cephalopods have a head and either eight or ten legs; the Greek roots of the word are kephalē, "head," and pod-, "foot."

Example Sentences

It quickly became important in studies of cephalopod evolution, with scientists interpreting its features as evidence of eight arms, fins, and other traits associated with octopuses.

From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026

Gareth Davies witnessed the "beautiful" orange cephalopod as it buried itself in the sand in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, and "vanished" in an "effortless display of camouflage".

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

A popular TikTok saga was launched with the father narrating the tale of Terrance the cephalopod, using a faux British accent generated by the social media app.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 15, 2024

Enter Turquet’s octopus, a cephalopod with a body about the length of a pencil, not including its arms.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 20, 2023

The same gentleman afterwards obtained an uninjured specimen of the fish, and it is well known that complete specimens, as well as fragments, of the giant cephalopod now exist in several other museums.

From The Crew of the Water Wagtail by Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)