definitions

whelk

1
[ hwelk, welk ]
/ ʰwɛlk, wɛlk /
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noun

any of several large, spiral-shelled, marine gastropods of the family Buccinidae, especially Buccinum undatum, that is used for food in Europe.

RELATED WORDS

clam, abalone, snail, crustacean, mollusk, scallop, conch, crawfish, prawn, shrimp, lobster, mussel, oyster, chiton, cuttlefish, limpet, barnacle, piddock, crayfish, streak

Nearby words

wheelwright, wheen, wheesh, wheeze, wheezy, whelk, whelked, whelm, whelp, whelping ice, when

Origin of whelk

1
before 900; late Middle English, aspirated variant of Middle English welk, Old English weoloc

Definition for whelk (2 of 2)

whelk

2
[ hwelk, welk ]
/ ʰwɛlk, wɛlk /

noun

a pimple or pustule.

Origin of whelk

2
before 1000; Middle English whelke, Old English hwylca, hwelca; akin to wheal
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for whelk

British Dictionary definitions for whelk (1 of 2)

whelk

1
/ (wɛlk) /

noun

any carnivorous marine gastropod mollusc of the family Buccinidae, of coastal waters and intertidal regions, having a strong snail-like shell

Word Origin for whelk

Old English weoloc; related to Middle Dutch willok, Old Norse vil entrails

British Dictionary definitions for whelk (2 of 2)

whelk

2
/ (wɛlk) /

noun

a raised lesion on the skin; wheal

Derived Forms

whelky, adjective

Word Origin for whelk

Old English hwylca, of obscure origin
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

Medicine definitions for whelk

whelk

[ wĕlk ]

n.

An inflamed swelling, such as a pimple or pustule.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.