nautilus

[ nawt-l-uhs, not- ]

/ ˈnɔt l əs, ˈnɒt- /

Save This Word!

noun, plural nau·ti·lus·es, nau·ti·li

[nawt-l-ahy, not-] /ˈnɔt lˌaɪ, ˈnɒt-/ for 1, 2.

Also called chambered nautilus, pearly nautilus. any cephalopod of the genus Nautilus, having a spiral, chambered shell with pearly septa.

paper nautilus.

(initial capital letter) the first nuclear-powered submarine launched by the U.S. Navy.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of nautilus

1595–1605; <Latin <Greek nautílos paper nautilus, literally, sailor, derivative of naûs ship; the webbed dorsal arms of the paper nautilus were thought to have been used as sails

Words nearby nautilus

Nautes, nautical, nautical day, nautical mile, nautiloid, nautilus, nautophone, NAV, Navaho, navaid, Navajo

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

How to use nautilus in a sentence

He began field research on living nautiluses in 1975 at age 25.
Twilight of the Nautilus - Issue 104: Harmony|Peter Ward|August 11, 2021|Nautilus
For the past decade, we’ve returned all the nautiluses we caught to the sea.
Twilight of the Nautilus - Issue 104: Harmony|Peter Ward|August 11, 2021|Nautilus
Neither the nautilus nor coelacanth appear to be predators of live animals.
Twilight of the Nautilus - Issue 104: Harmony|Peter Ward|August 11, 2021|Nautilus
Their predators, sharks and large fish, are visual hunters, so the nautiluses were safer in the darker, deeper depths.
Twilight of the Nautilus - Issue 104: Harmony|Peter Ward|August 11, 2021|Nautilus

A week before, we had fitted the nautiluses with acoustic transmitters that gave their position and depth.
Twilight of the Nautilus - Issue 104: Harmony|Peter Ward|August 11, 2021|Nautilus
There is something about being in Captain Nemo's Nautilus that makes the absinthe taste even better.
The Absinthe-Minded Porteños of Buenos Aires|Jeff Campagna|March 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The "next step," as in the case of the male organ of the nautilus, is to grow a tool and detach it.
The Natural Philosophy of Love|Remy de Gourmont
The first is called Nautilus Papyraceus; and its shell is indeed no thicker than a piece of paper, when out of the water.
The Book of Curiosities|I. Platts
Two (p. 635) broadsides were then interchanged, by which the "Nautilus" was severely cut up, and eight of her crew killed.
The Naval History of the United States|Willis J. Abbot.
The argonaut, or paper-nautilus, must be carefully distinguished from the pearly-nautilus or nautilus proper (Nautilus Pompilius).
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2|Various
At night the owner of a "Nautilus" canoe can either haul his craft ashore or anchor in deep water.
Harper's Round Table, August 20, 1895|Various

British Dictionary definitions for nautilus

nautilus

/ (ˈnɔːtɪləs) /

noun plural -luses or -li (-ˌlaɪ)

any cephalopod mollusc of the genus Nautilus, esp the pearly nautilus

short for paper nautilus

Word Origin for nautilus

C17: via Latin from Greek nautilos sailor, from naus ship

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