conch

[ kongk, konch ]

/ kɒŋk, kɒntʃ /

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See synonyms for conch on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural conchs

[kongks], /kɒŋks/, con·ches

[kon-chiz]. /ˈkɒn tʃɪz/.

the spiral shell of a gastropod, often used as a horn.

any of various marine gastropods.

the fabled shell trumpet of the Tritons.

(often initial capital letter)Slang: Sometimes Disparaging.

a term used to refer to a native or inhabitant of the Florida Keys.
a term used to refer to a Bahamian.

Also concha .Architecture. a smooth concave surface consisting of or resembling the interior of a semidome, as the surface of a vault, a trompe, or the head of a niche.

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Origin of conch

1350–1400; Middle English <Latin concha<Greek kónchē mussel, shell

usage note for conch

Conch is usually a neutral nickname or term of self-reference for any person living in the Florida Keys or the Bahamas, where conch (the flesh of the gastropod) is a popular food. However, the nickname conch is sometimes used with disparaging intent when specifically referring to a person of Bahamian ancestry living in the Florida Keys. And Loyalists who fled to the Bahamas during the Revolutionary War used the nickname conch to refer disparagingly to a native or early settler of the Bahamas.

OTHER WORDS FROM conch

conch·ate

[kong-keyt, kon-cheyt], /ˈkɒŋ keɪt, ˈkɒn tʃeɪt/, conched, adjective

Words nearby conch

concession, concessionaire, concessionary, concession road, concessive, conch, concha, conchfish, conchi-, conchie, conchiferous

Other definitions for conch (2 of 2)

conch-

variant of concho- before a vowel.

How to use conch in a sentence

You can also catch and take Caribbean spiny lobster, conch, and whelk—if you can find them.
15 National Park Fishing Spots to Add to Your Bucket List|kklein|September 30, 2021|Outside Online
The last time anyone heard a sound from the conch shell trumpet, thick sheets of ice still covered most of Europe.
Listen to haunting notes from an 18,000-year-old conch shell trumpet|Kiona N. Smith|February 12, 2021|Ars Technica
Discoverers of the conch shell at the cave’s entrance in 1931 thought it had been used as a shared drinking container.
Humans made a horn out of a conch shell about 18,000 years ago|Bruce Bower|February 10, 2021|Science News
While it’s not known how ancient people used the shell horn, conch shells in historical and modern cultures have served as musical instruments, calling or signaling devices and sacred or magical objects, researchers say.
Humans made a horn out of a conch shell about 18,000 years ago|Bruce Bower|February 10, 2021|Science News

But when it comes to eating a meal, all you know for sure is that it will be colorful, high-flavored, and Conch in character.
A Magical Meal at Louie’s Backyard in the Conch Republic|Jane & Michael Stern|July 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By day, they snorkeled for conch and paddled in the pool in inner tubes.
Doug Kenney: The Odd Comic Genius Behind ‘Animal House’ and National Lampoon|Robert Sam Anson|March 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All around her is a jubilant crescendo: conch shells blowing, drums beating, a celebratory vapor of green powder everywhere.
Mamata Banerjee, India's Political Superwoman|Shoma Chaudhury|May 18, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The infamous Conch Shack is a few minutes by car, but leaving this place is tough.
Gal With a Suitcase|Jolie Hunt|February 20, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Non vincant heder bracchia flexiles, Conch non superent oscula dulcia, Emanet pariter sudor et ossibus Grato murmure ab intimis.
Lives of the most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects|Giorgio Vasari
Neptune blew upon his conch-shell, and the angry waves returned again to the sea.
Stories of Old Greece and Rome|Emilie Kip Baker
Triton was his father's trumpeter, and at Neptune's command he blew upon his conch-shell to calm the restless sea.
Stories of Old Greece and Rome|Emilie Kip Baker
Within this niche a marble Triton poured through his conch-shell a continuous stream.
Baron Bruno|Louisa Morgan
From the roof of the Saka-gompa with a statue of Padma Sambhava the single lama of the monastery blows his conch.
Trans-Himalaya, Vol. 2 (of 2)|Sven Hedin

British Dictionary definitions for conch

conch

/ (kɒŋk, kɒntʃ) /

noun plural conchs (kɒŋks) or conches (ˈkɒntʃɪz)

any of various tropical marine gastropod molluscs of the genus Strombus and related genera, esp S. gigas (giant conch), characterized by a large brightly coloured spiral shell

the shell of such a mollusc, used as a trumpet

architect another name for concha (def. 2)

Word Origin for conch

C16: from Latin concha, from Greek konkhē shellfish

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

conch

Origin of conch

usage note for conch

OTHER WORDS FROM conch

Words nearby conch

Other definitions for conch (2 of 2)

Words related to conch

How to use conch in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for conch

Word Origin for conch