paper nautilus

American  

noun

1. any dibranchiate cephalopod of the genus Argonauta, the female of which has a delicate, white shell.

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paper nautilus British  

noun

1. Also called: argonaut.  any cephalopod mollusc of the genus Argonauta, esp A. argo, of warm and tropical seas, having a papery external spiral shell: order Octopoda (octopods) Compare pearly nautilus

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Etymology

Origin of paper nautilus

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

So the example of the paper nautilus is a cephalopod, an octopus.

From Slate • Sep. 18, 2020

Finally, the paper nautilus recalls the free ebb and flow which she thinks necessary in all good human relationships.

From Time Magazine Archive

After a heavy storm the paper nautilus is sometimes found.

From Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science Volume 12, No. 33, December, 1873 by Various

The varieties of the paper nautilus, or argonaut, are the most delicate and beautiful.

From How to See the British Museum in Four Visits by Jerrold, W. Blanchard

I here also saw numbers of the paper nautilus floating on the calm surface of the water.

From Peter Trawl The Adventures of a Whaler by Durden, James