noun
mollusk
MAH-lusk/ˈmɑləsk/
A soft-bodied invertebrate, often protected by a shell.
The snail is a mollusk with a soft body beneath its spiral shell.
Etymology
Latin molluscus meant “thin-shelled” and was derived from a word for “soft.” The animal name identifies a soft-bodied group, whose members often have a protective hard shell.
In context
the mollusk's body can produce more proteins and calcium carbonate to repair the broken parts of the shell. Not all mollusks have shells. For example, an octopus is a mollusk which doesn't have a shell.
More examples
- We find tiny mollusks attached to rocks along the shore.
- A squid is a mollusk even though it has no external shell.
- The aquarium keeps several kinds of mollusks in this tank.
Forms
mollusk · mollusks
molluscan adjective — Relating to mollusks or their characteristics.
Similar words
- invertebrate
- A broader term that also includes insects, worms, and jellyfish.
- shellfish
- Covers aquatic shelled animals, including crustaceans, but excludes land snails.