whelk
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of whelk1
before 900; late Middle English, aspirated variant of Middle English welk, Old English weoloc
Origin of whelk2
before 1000; Middle English whelke, Old English hwylca, hwelca; akin to wheal
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.
"Butterfly blenny naturally choose abandoned whelk shells as their home but it seems they can get creative," she said..
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2024
They’ve placed 10,000 bags of oysters and whelk shells there since 2015.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 28, 2022
In the 1990s, the population of horseshoe crabs along the East Coast was decimated by fishermen who used them as bait to catch eel and corner the lucrative market for whelk or conch.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 30, 2021
As a fierce wind sent his hair flying around his face, he pointed out some of the little things he loved: a clump of pink sea thrift, a tiny whelk.
From New York Times ● Jul. 7, 2021
"Gammon!" answered the leather-hearted whelk, and proceeded on its journey.
From Bill the Minder by Robinson, W. Heath (William Heath)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
