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spirula

American

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

noun

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

spirula British

/ 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)

"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

Etymology

Origin of spirula

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One particularly important species was the rare ram's horn squid, Spirula spirula.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023