noun / verb
snail
SNAYL/sneɪl/
A slow-moving mollusk carrying a spiral shell.
A snail crawls across a small leaf, leaving a short trail.
Etymology
Old English snægl already named the snail. Its deeper ancestry is reconstructed as a diminutive related to snake, giving the name the underlying image of a little creeping creature.
In context
Even the empty shell of a snail. Someone is investigating the discarded housing.
More examples
- Several snails appear in the garden after the rain.
- The snail pulls its tentacles back when touched.
- Traffic moves at a snail's pace through the construction zone.
Forms
snail · snails · snailed · snailing
Similar words
- gastropod
- A scientific category that includes both snails and slugs.