Main Entry: nau·ti·lus

Pronunciation: \ˈnȯ-tə-ləs, ˈnä-\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural nau·ti·lus·es or nau·ti·li \-tə-ˌlī, -ˌlē\

Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, paper nautilus, from Greek nautilos, literally, sailor, from naus ship

Date: 1601

1 : any of a genus (Nautilus) of cephalopod mollusks of the South Pacific and Indian oceans with a spiral chambered shell that is pearly on the inside —called also chambered nautilus
2 : paper nautilus

[nautilus illustration]