cephalopod

noun

ceph·​a·​lo·​pod ˈse-fə-lə-ˌpäd 

: any of a class (Cephalopoda) of marine mollusks including the squids, cuttlefishes, and octopuses that move by expelling water from a tubular siphon under the head and that have a group of muscular usually sucker-bearing arms around the front of the head, highly developed eyes, and usually a sac containing ink which is ejected for defense or concealment

cephalopod adjective

Examples of cephalopod in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The freakishly large cephalopod is only one of the many perils Robert Sterling, Walter Pidgeon, and the rest of the film's stars have to contend with in this feature predecessor to the popular TV show. —Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 3 July 2025

This leads to a conversation about the ethics of eating animals, and the possibility of hyper-intelligent cephalopods hunting human beings as prey. —Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2025

That cephalopod was documented floating vertically roughly 2,790 feet deep off the northern Great Barrier Reef. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 June 2025

Before this, the cephalopod's existence was only known because its remains appeared in fishing nets and the stomachs of larger marine animals. —Rachel Raposas, People.com, 10 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from cephal- + Greek pod-, pous foot — more at foot

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cephalopod

• brachiopod
• upanishad
• abroad
• applaud
• backboard
• ballade
• defraud
• ephod
• facade
• guffawed
• outlawed
• ramrod

Kids Definition

cephalopod

noun

ceph·​a·​lo·​pod ˈsef-ə-lə-ˌpäd 

: any of a class of mollusks that include the squids, cuttlefishes, and octopuses and have a group of muscular sucker-bearing arms, highly developed eyes, and usually a bag of inky fluid which can be released for defense