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Synonyms

whelk

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

noun

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

whelk 2 American  
[welk, hwelk] / wɛlk, ʰwɛlk /

noun

  1. a pimple or pustule.

whelk 1 British  
/ wɛlk /

noun

  1. any carnivorous marine gastropod mollusc of the family Buccinidae, of coastal waters and intertidal regions, having a strong snail-like 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
whelk 2 British  
/ wɛlk /

noun

  1. a raised lesion on the skin; wheal

"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

Other Word Forms

  • whelky adjective

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.

Ben Cooper has been a fisherman in Whitstable on the north Kent coast since 1997, and relies heavily on the common whelk, a type of sea snail.

From BBC

“The less we have to talk about that, the less we have to think about it,” said Bruno Hecquet sombrely, as he unloaded boxes of fresh whelks on the quayside.

From BBC

"Butterfly blenny naturally choose abandoned whelk shells as their home but it seems they can get creative," she said..

From BBC

It found the boat had been modified and had 4.6 tonnes of whelks and whelk pots on board.

From BBC

A pair of cases are devoted to items from the Nanticoke people, including a wampum belt and necklace featuring whelk and clam shells and a toy canoe crafted from pine needles and sinew.

From Washington Post

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.