spirula

[ spir-yuh-luh, -oo-luh ]
/ ˈspɪr yə lə, -ʊ lə /

noun, plural spir·u·lae [spir-yuh-lee, -oo-lee]. /ˈspɪr yəˌli, -ʊˌli/.

any cephalopod of the genus Spirula, having a flat, spiral shell that is partly inside and partly outside the posterior part of the body.

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Origin of spirula

First recorded in 1825–35; from New Latin, from Late Latin spīrula “twisted cake.” See spiro-2, -ule

Words nearby spirula

spiroid, spirometer, spironolactone, spiroplasma, spirt, spirula, spirulina, spiruroid, Spiruroidea, spiry, spissatus
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for spirula

British Dictionary definitions for spirula

spirula
/ (ˈspaɪrʊlə) /

noun

a tropical cephalopod mollusc, Spirula peronii, having prominent eyes, short arms, and a small flattened spirally coiled internal shell: order Decapoda (cuttlefish and squids)

Word Origin for spirula

C19: via New Latin from Late Latin: a small twisted cake, from Latin spīra a coil
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