gastropod

noun gas·tro·pod \ ˈga-strə-ˌpäd \

|Updated on: 22 May 2018

Definition of gastropod

: any of a large class (Gastropoda) of mollusks (such as snails and slugs) usually with a univalve shell or none and a distinct head bearing sensory organs

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gastropod

adjective

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Recent Examples of gastropod from the Web

The gastropod became extinct in the wild in the 1990s.

— brittany nader, cleveland.com, "Akron Zoo brings new exotic animals to June Curious Creatures exhibit," 15 May 2018
And a good first step is not eating raw gastropods.

— National Geographic, "Why You Shouldn't Eat a Slug (In Case You Need Reasons)," 16 Mar. 2018
Scallops, for example, showcase a complex system of camouflage, with a colored shell on top and a white shell on the bottom; most gastropods are born with trapdoor-like devices called an operculum, which protect them from predators.

— susan glaser, cleveland.com, "In search of the perfect shell on Florida's Sanibel Island (photos)," 10 Jan. 2018
Sea angels’ lovely outward appearance and name belie their status as a kind of sea slug, related to other forms of snails in the gastropod class.

— National Geographic, "Rare Video Shows Sea Angels' Graceful Mating Dance," 7 Sep. 2017
The resulting creation, an art car called The Golden Mean, is a golden gastropod that glows in the dark and shoots rings of fire from its feelers.

— lewis wallace, WIRED, "Snail Car Is Born When Math, Dreams Collide," 29 Aug. 2008

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