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Synonyms

conch

1 American  
[kongk, konch] / kɒŋk, kɒntʃ /

noun

plural

conchs, conches

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

  2. any of various marine gastropods.

  3. the fabled shell trumpet of the Tritons.

  4. (often initial capital letter)

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

    2. a term used to refer to a Bahamian.

  5. Architecture. Also 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.

conch- 2 American  

  1. variant of concho- before a vowel.

conch British  
/ kɒŋk, kɒntʃ /

noun

  1. 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

  2. the shell of such a mollusc, used as a trumpet

  3. architect another name for concha

"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

Sensitive Note

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 Word Forms

  • conchate adjective
  • conched adjective

Etymology

Origin of conch

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Hold a conch shell up to your ear and you can hear the sound of the sea.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

Officers reported finding two empty conch shells next to a pot and an active fire.

From Washington Times • Nov. 22, 2023

Modi inaugurated a $300 million venue in the capital in July to host the summit meeting - a conch shell-shaped building that can seat more than 3,000.

From Reuters • Sep. 1, 2023

The King poured anointment water from a conch shell onto Queen Suthida and granted her royal rank and status.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2023

For a littlun he was self-confident, holding out his hands, cradling the conch as Ralph did, looking round at them to collect their attention before he spoke.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.