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paper nautilus

noun

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


paper nautilus

noun

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


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Word History and Origins

Origin of paper nautilus1

First recorded in 1825–35
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Example Sentences

The argonaut, or paper-nautilus, must be carefully distinguished from the pearly-nautilus or nautilus proper (Nautilus Pompilius).

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

It is often found attached to the shell of the Paper Nautilus, which it is said to use as a sail.

The paper-nautilus (Argonauta argo) belongs to a different family of the same class, and has a simple, delicate, boat-like shell.

We need not trouble ourselves about the distinction between this and the Paper Nautilus, the Argonauta of the ancients.

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