abalone

noun

ab·a·lo·ne | \ˌa-bə-ˈlō-nē,

ˈa-bə-ˌ

\

Definition of abalone

: any of a genus (Haliotis) of edible rock-clinging gastropod mollusks that have a flattened shell slightly spiral in form, lined with mother-of-pearl, and with a row of apertures along its outer edge

Examples of abalone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Several abalone species including greens are estimated to be less than 1% of historic densities. — Degen Pener, Los Angeles Magazine, "What’s Being Done to Revive L.A.’s Decimated Abalone Population," 22 June 2018 Activities also include digging for volcanic rock and abalone, conch and other seashells at a table of black sand that’s reminiscent of beaches on Maui. — Laurel Graeber, New York Times, "9 Things to Do With Your Kids in N.Y.C. This Weekend," 5 July 2018 In Gallon's 20s — around the time when the couple was killed — he was convicted of weapons charges, theft, drunken driving, resisting arrest, and hunting abalone (an edible mollusk) without the necessary paperwork, the Chronicle reports. — Jared Gilmour, sacbee, "Beach campsite murder went unsolved 13 years. Now a killer faces charges, Calif. deputies say | The Sacramento Bee," 16 May 2018 Shop for prints by local illustrator Peter Horjus at his eponymous shop and abalone rings at Jules by the Sea. — Sunset, "Santa Barbara Guidebook: What to See & Do Now," 22 Jan. 2018 The mammoth seafood cocktails include Luna de Miel, a goblet brimming with juice, bits of abalone and scallops, and a handful of those aguachile shrimp. — Jonathan Gold, latimes.com, "At El Coraloense, Jonathan Gold looks past the aguachiles' appearances and finds deliciousness," 27 Apr. 2018 For more than 2,000 years, abalone has been served to celebrate special occasions and honor guests, taking a pride of place alongside other luxury ingredients like shark fin and sea cucumber. — Kimon De Greef, New York Times, "Divers Risk Drowning and Sharks to Poach Abalone Worth $200 a Pound," 31 Mar. 2018 Ama tools known as awabi-okoshi, including a small metal scraper (not unlike a seafood fork) used for pulling abalone off the rocks, date from Japan’s Jomon era (10,500–300 B.C.), and have been uncovered by archaeologists. — Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Women at the Bottom of the Ocean," 8 Mar. 2018 Some of Pizza Hut’s more innovative products include pizzas topped with durian, which is a strong-smelling fruit from southeast Asia, or abalone—sea snails, for the uninitiated. — Jacky Wong, WSJ, "Pizza Hut Needs More Than a Slice of Help From KFC in China," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abalone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about abalone

Dictionary Entries near abalone

abandon/drop all pretense at

Statistics for abalone

Last Updated

4 Oct 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for abalone

The first known use of abalone was in 1850

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for abalone

abalone

noun

English Language Learners Definition of abalone

: a type of shellfish that is eaten as food and that has a shell that is lined with a hard white material (called mother-of-pearl)

See the full definition for abalone in the English Language Learners Dictionary

abalone

noun

ab·a·lo·ne | \ˌa-bə-ˈlō-nē

\

Kids Definition of abalone

: a shellfish that is a mollusk which has a flattened shell with a pearly lining

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

brouhaha

a state of commotion or excitement

Test Your Vocabulary

Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz

Boreal comes from the name of the ancient Greek god of which wind?

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games