gastropod

[ gas-truh-pod ]

/ ˈgæs trəˌpɒd /

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noun

any mollusk of the class Gastropoda, comprising the snails, whelks, slugs, etc.

adjective

Also gas·trop·o·dous

[ga-strop-uh-duhs]. /gæˈstrɒp ə dəs/. belonging or pertaining to the gastropods.

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Origin of gastropod

First recorded in 1820–30, gastropod is from the New Latin word Gast(e)ropoda a class of mollusks. See gastro-, -pod

Words nearby gastropod

gastrology, gastronome, gastronomic, gastronomy, gastroplasty, gastropod, gastropub, gastroscope, gastroscopy, gastrostomy, gastrotomy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use gastropod in a sentence

A geologic survey of sediments near the mangroves revealed “exactly what we expected,” he says, including coastal gravels, shells of marine gastropods, clay sediments rich in shell fragments, coastal dunes and large oyster shells.
How these sea-loving mangroves ended up far from the coast|Trishla Ostwal|October 22, 2021|Science News
The problem of the causes of the torsion of the Gastropod body has been much discussed.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5|Various
G, The acrecbolic snout of a proboscidiferous Gastropod, arrested short of complete eversion by the fibrous band b.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5|Various
One of the prettiest of the gastropod shells, is that of the cowry, in some parts of Africa used as money.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural History|Theodore Wood

The name arises from confusion with a coiled gastropod, which was held to resemble the horns of the Egyptian deity Jupiter Ammon.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for gastropod

gastropod

gasteropod

/ (ˈɡæstrəˌpɒd) /

noun

any mollusc of the class Gastropoda, typically having a flattened muscular foot for locomotion and a head that bears stalked eyes. The class includes the snails, whelks, limpets, and slugs

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to the Gastropoda

Derived forms of gastropod

gastropodan (ɡæsˈtrɒpədən), adjective, noungastropodous, adjective

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

Scientific definitions for gastropod

gastropod

[ găs′trə-pŏd′ ]

Any of various carnivorous or herbivorous mollusks of the class Gastropoda, having a head with eyes and feelers and a muscular foot on the underside of its body with which it moves. Most gastropods are aquatic, but some have adapted to life on land. Gastropods include snails, which have a coiled shell, and slugs, which have a greatly reduced shell or none at all.

Word History

Snails, conchs, whelks, and many other similar animals with shells are all called gastropods by scientists. The word gastropod comes from Greek and means stomach foot, a name that owes its existence to the unusual anatomy of snails. Snails have a broad flat muscular foot used for support and for forward movement. This foot runs along the underside of the animal-essentially along its belly. The Greek elements gastro-, stomach, and -pod, foot, are found in many other scientific names, such as gastritis (an inflammation of the stomach) and sauropod (lizard foot, a type of dinosaur).