nautiloid
noun
nau·ti·loid
ˈnȯ-tə-ˌlȯid 
ˈnä-
: any of a subclass (Nautiloidea) of cephalopods bearing an external straight, curved, or spiral shell that were abundant chiefly in the Paleozoic but are represented in the recent fauna only by the nautiluses
nautiloid
adjective
Examples of nautiloid in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The researchers spotted four nautiloids during the dive.
—
Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Today, Nautilus is the only surviving genus of the once widespread nautiloids.
—Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2023
Reefs built by microbes gave way to some of the first coral reefs, trilobites grew larger, and tentacled predators such as nautiloids diversified and swarmed the mostly fishless seas.
—Joshua Sokol, Science | AAAS, 18 Sep. 2019
Perhaps the smaller mosasaur caught the nautiloid, but was forced to give up its prey when a larger mosasaur approached.
—Brian Switek, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2012
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Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Today, Nautilus is the only surviving genus of the once widespread nautiloids.
—Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2023
Reefs built by microbes gave way to some of the first coral reefs, trilobites grew larger, and tentacled predators such as nautiloids diversified and swarmed the mostly fishless seas.
—Joshua Sokol, Science | AAAS, 18 Sep. 2019
Perhaps the smaller mosasaur caught the nautiloid, but was forced to give up its prey when a larger mosasaur approached.
—Brian Switek, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2012
Cite this Entry
“Nautiloid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nautiloid. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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