mollusk

noun

mol·​lusk ˈmä-ləsk 

variants or mollusc

: any of a large phylum (Mollusca) of invertebrate animals (such as snails, clams, or squids) with a soft unsegmented body usually enclosed in a calcareous shell

broadly : shellfish

molluscan adjective

or less commonly molluskan

mə-ˈlə-skən 

mä-

Examples of mollusk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Previously, scientists have found tiny crustaceans, prehistoric mollusks and even hell ants encased in the orangey resin, a window into worlds past. —Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2025

The swirly shell that held the voice of the Little Mermaid in Disney’s 2023 live-action adaptation looked like the ancient marine mollusk called an ammonite. —Chantel Tattoli, New York Times, 20 May 2025

According to the Food and Drug Administration, filter feeders such as clams and other bivalve mollusks like oysters and mussels have the potential to accumulate more contaminants in their systems than other seafood types. —Christina Manian, Health, 23 Apr. 2025

Fish and mollusks were prevalent in the funerary practices of Ur. —Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French mollusque, from New Latin Mollusca, from Latin, neuter plural of molluscus thin-shelled (of a nut), from mollis

First Known Use

1783, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mollusk

• mollusc

Kids Definition

mollusk

noun

mol·​lusk

variants or mollusc

ˈmäl-əsk 

: any of a large phylum of invertebrate animals (as snails, clams, and octopuses) with a soft body lacking segments and usually enclosed in a shell containing calcium

molluscan adjective

also molluskan

mə-ˈləs-kən 

mä-

Medical Definition

mollusk

noun

mol·​lusk

variants or mollusc

ˈmäl-əsk 

: any invertebrate animal of the phylum Mollusca

molluscan adjective

also molluskan

mə-ˈles-kən, mä-