Illustration of whelk
: any of numerous large marine snails (as of the genus Buccinum)
especially
: one (B. undatum) used as food in Europe
Examples of whelk in a Sentence
Noun (2)
unsightly whelks covered the beggar's face
Recent Examples on the Web
Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025
Accessible by ferry from Port Aransas, which sits just across the shipping channel, this 21-mile-long island offers nothing more than pristine Gulf Coast wilderness, and keen-eyed travelers often stumble upon sand dollars, lightning whelks, angel wings, and conchs.
—Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 6 Jan. 2025
Gastropods are a class of mollusks that include snails, slugs and whelks.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2025
On board the 30-foot Salford sailing whelk yacht, there’s silence except for the creak of ropes and gurgle of our wake.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2024
However, visitors will find moon snails, conch shells, pen shells, periwinkles, whelks, and olive shells, all indigenous to the area.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2024
The menu is full of seaside favorites, including generous platters and seafood towers overflowing with langoustines, whelks, prawns, oysters, and lobsters.
—Jade Simon, Vogue, 21 June 2024
Local specimens include lightning whelks and angel wings from the bay and lions-paw scallops and alphabet cones from the Gulf.
—Robin Soslow, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Is there something profound about making a whelk taste, quite pleasingly, like sour-cream-and-onion chips?
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Serious shellers know to get to the beach early for prime specimens like sand dollars, whelks, and scallops.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025
Accessible by ferry from Port Aransas, which sits just across the shipping channel, this 21-mile-long island offers nothing more than pristine Gulf Coast wilderness, and keen-eyed travelers often stumble upon sand dollars, lightning whelks, angel wings, and conchs.
—Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 6 Jan. 2025
Gastropods are a class of mollusks that include snails, slugs and whelks.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2025
On board the 30-foot Salford sailing whelk yacht, there’s silence except for the creak of ropes and gurgle of our wake.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2024
However, visitors will find moon snails, conch shells, pen shells, periwinkles, whelks, and olive shells, all indigenous to the area.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2024
The menu is full of seaside favorites, including generous platters and seafood towers overflowing with langoustines, whelks, prawns, oysters, and lobsters.
—Jade Simon, Vogue, 21 June 2024
Local specimens include lightning whelks and angel wings from the bay and lions-paw scallops and alphabet cones from the Gulf.
—Robin Soslow, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Is there something profound about making a whelk taste, quite pleasingly, like sour-cream-and-onion chips?
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Whelk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whelk. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share