Synonyms

mollusk

American

[mol-uhsk] / ˈmɒl əsk /

Or mollusc

noun

any invertebrate of the phylum Mollusca, typically having a calcareous shell of one, two, or more pieces that wholly or partly enclose the soft, unsegmented body, including the chitons, snails, bivalves, squids, and octopuses.

mollusk Scientific

/ mŏl′əsk /

Any of numerous invertebrate animals of the phylum Mollusca, usually living in water and often having a hard outer shell. They have a muscular foot, a well-developed circulatory and nervous system, and often complex eyes. Mollusks include gastropods (snails and shellfish), slugs, octopuses, squids, and the extinct ammonites. Mollusks appear in the fossil record in the early Cambrian Period, but it is not known from what group they evolved.

Other Word Forms

molluscan adjective
molluskan adjective
mollusklike adjective

Etymology

Origin of mollusk

1775–85; < French mollusque < New Latin Mollusca; Mollusca

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.

He not realize he no can hear mollusks, like octopus, or other kine sea creatures.

From Literature

Most belonged to groups such as marine bristle worms, crustaceans, and mollusks, including snails and mussels.

From Science Daily

Trilobites scurried across the seafloor among dense clusters of shelled mollusks.

From Science Daily

Today she listens to me rant about my slimy mollusk phobia, and I push back against her competitive streak with my own.

From Los Angeles Times

Decades later, it was found by scientists, who marveled at the appearance of this perfectly preserved ocean mollusk in the middle of a desert.

From Literature

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