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

As omnivores, North American river otters eat fish, turtles, crabs, mollusks, birds, oysters, shellfish, crayfish, frogs, rodents and insects. —Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 22 Apr. 2026

North American river otters are omnivores, feeding on fish, turtles, crabs, mollusks, birds, oysters, shellfish, crayfish, frogs, rodents and insects. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026

Spicy piri-piri chicken is popular, as is matapa—a traditional, creamy stew made from cassava leaves, coconut milk, and ground nuts, often served with succulent shellfish. —Ali Pantony, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2026

Couscous and fish or shellfish go well together. —Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 16 Apr. 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)