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

The other seven include milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts and wheat. —News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025

While copper levels vary, foods high in this trace mineral include nuts and seeds, legumes, leafy greens, liver and oysters (among other shellfish). —New Atlas, 28 July 2025

While more mobile fish can move to cleaner waters during an algal bloom, invertebrates like shellfish and sea stars, and other species associated with the reef, are suffocated by toxic algae. —Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 26 July 2025

And folks who also need to avoid eggs, sesame, and shellfish should check out the rotisserie chicken, paired with yellow rice and black beans. —Karla Walsh, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 July 2025

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)