shellfish

[ shel-fish ]

/ ˈʃɛlˌfɪʃ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR shellfish ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural (especially collectively) shell·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) shell·fish·es.

an aquatic animal having a shell, as the oyster and other mollusks and the lobster and other crustaceans.

Nearby words

shelley, shelley, mary wollstonecraft, shelley, percy bysshe, shelleyan, shellfire, shellfish, shellfishery, shellflower, shellproof, shellwork, shelly

Origin of shellfish

before 900; Middle English; Old English scilfisc. See shell, fish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for shellfish

Eat: The area is renowned for its cuisine, especially fish, shellfish, hearty rice dishes, and stews.
Nine Amazing Places To Skinny Dip Around The World|Erin Cunningham|September 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
However, the Spanish government says the cement blocks impaired Spanish fishermen from trolling the same waters for shellfish.
Between Gibraltar and a Hard Place|Barbie Latza Nadeau|August 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This disease is caused by naturally occurring toxins that are found in the tissue of some shellfish.
Necrotizing Fasciitis, Blinding Larvae & More Scary Diseases|Casey Schwartz|May 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Blocks of ice were brought in and carved into a buffet table, from which an extravagant array of shellfish was served.
Nicolas Cage, Compulsive Spender|Jacob Bernstein|November 3, 2009|DAILY BEAST

It smells like you're at sea: pure iodine and shellfish (it's amazing).
The Official Beverage of France|Katie Workman|August 4, 2009|DAILY BEAST
But the sea rolled over them, and in it lived a great variety of shellfish.
Earth and Sky Every Child Should Know|Julia Ellen Rogers
A series of charts showing the shellfish areas of the State makes clear the description of the survey.
A Report upon the Mollusk Fisheries of Massachusetts|Commissioners on Fisheries and Game
The present shellfish laws of the Commonwealth are alone to blame for this waste.
A Report upon the Mollusk Fisheries of Massachusetts|Commissioners on Fisheries and Game
This ape is very fond of shellfish, and there is a certain kind of sand-crab that suits his palate exactly.
The Little Gleaner, Vol. X.|Various
Decapod, dek′a-pod, n. one of the shellfish which have ten feet or claws, as the crab.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for shellfish

shellfish

/ (ˈʃɛlˌfɪʃ) /

noun plural -fish or -fishes

any aquatic invertebrate having a shell or shell-like carapace, esp such an animal used as human food. Examples are crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters and molluscs such as oysters

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

Word Origin and History for shellfish

shellfish

also shell-fish, Old English scylfiscas (plural); see shell (n.) + fish (n.).

shellfish

noun, plural (especially collectively) shell·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) shell·fish·es.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of shellfish

Examples from the Web for shellfish

British Dictionary definitions for shellfish

shellfish

noun plural -fish or -fishes

Word Origin and History for shellfish

shellfish