shellfish

American  

[shel-fish] / ˈʃɛlˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

shellfish,

plural

shellfishes

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

---

shellfish British  

/ ˈʃɛlˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. 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

---

Etymology

Origin of shellfish

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

Example Sentences

Maryland, which has jurisdiction over the river downstream from the spill between D.C. and the Chesapeake Bay, issued an advisory for shellfish harvesting in part of the river.

From The Wall Street Journal

Supriyanto, 32, is a green mussel trader and once bought from local fishermen who harvested the shellfish offshore.

From Barron's

One potential consequence is that an unpermitted insect species could trigger reactions in people allergic to shellfish, which can have the same allergenic proteins.

From BBC

If the person asks you to explain how it works, just pretend to trip, then throw yourself into the shrimp tower, yell something about a shellfish allergy, and run.

From Barron's

I also like to keep welcome gifts what I think of as “airplane- and pre-K–safe,” meaning I tend to avoid ingredients that aren’t allowed in those spaces, like peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish.

From Salon

Related Words

• clam
• conch
• crawfish
• crustacean
• lobster
• mollusk
• mussel
• oyster
• prawn
• scallop
• shrimp
• snail