shellfish

noun

shell·​fish ˈshel-ˌfish 

: an aquatic invertebrate animal with a shell

especially : an edible mollusk or crustacean

Examples of shellfish in a Sentence

lobsters, crabs, and other shellfish

Recent Examples on the Web

Zebra mussels are tiny invasive shellfish, originally found in Asia and Europe, that spread by clinging to boats. —Joshua Haiar, States Newsroom, 21 Jan. 2026

Cleaning or steaming live shellfish is usually best. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 18 Jan. 2026

The kitchen is centered around an open grill, featuring vegetables, fish, shellfish and select cuts of meat. —Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 16 Jan. 2026

By 2028 the device should be able to detect the nine most common food allergens that account for 80% of allergic reactions, including peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy and sesame. —Shirl Leigh january 14, New Atlas, 14 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shellfish

• bluefish
• catfish
• codfish
• crawfish
• dogfish
• finfish
• flatfish
• goldfish
• groundfish
• kingfish
• offish
• redfish

Kids Definition

shellfish

noun

shell·​fish ˈshel-ˌfish 

: an invertebrate animal that lives in water and has a shell

especially : an edible mollusk (as an oyster) or crustacean (as a crab)