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

How Monster Depicts the Borden Murders Their first attempt involves serving the couple oysters in May, when the series says the city of Fall River dumps its sewage over the oyster beds, contaminating the shellfish with potentially fatal bacteria. — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Some involve withholding an inhaler from a child who needs it, while others show allergic children forced to eat shellfish. — Jon Christian, Futurism, 9 Sep. 2026

The latter can be booked alongside a tide-to-table feast including wine pairings and three delicious courses starring shellfish and seared salmon. — Abigail Bliss, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2026

Best guess, for now, according to the experts, is a kind of shellfish. — Jim Greer, SPIN, 3 Sep. 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)