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; cephalo-, -pod

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

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

Not everyone shares Crook's position that it is possible to engage in ethical cephalopod experiments.

From Salon • Oct. 27, 2023

Steadily the little motors hummed, and the tank emptied through the rods into the body of the giant cephalopod.

From Astounding Stories of Super-Science, December 1930 by Various