wentletrap

American

[wen-tl-trap] / ˈwɛn tlˌtræp /

noun

any of several marine gastropods of the family Epitonii (Scalariidae), having a whitish, spiraled shell.

wentletrap British

/ ˈwɛntəlˌtræp /

noun

any marine gastropod mollusc of the family Epitoniidae, having a long pointed pale-coloured longitudinally ridged shell

"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 wentletrap

1750–60; < Dutch wenteltrap, earlier wendeltrap spiral staircase, equivalent to wend ( en ) to turn + frequentative -el- (compare wentelen to revolve) + trap trap ¹ )

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.

Among mollusks and zoophytes, I found in our trawl's meshes various species of alcyonarian coral, sea urchins, hammer shells, spurred–star shells, wentletrap snails, horn shells, glass snails.

From Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Walter, F. P.

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