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

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

Octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, and their cephalopod relatives are masters of camouflage, able to instantly shift their skin color to blend into their surroundings.

From Science Daily • Nov. 3, 2025

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

“Did you see my hands just dangling there like a cephalopod? In two months, I’m going to be in a wheelchair.”

From Seattle Times • Oct. 28, 2023

The name is also applied to the larger eight-armed cephalopod molluscs belonging to Octopus and allied genera.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 1: Deposition to Eberswalde by Various