variants
or mollusc
: any of a large phylum (Mollusca) of invertebrate animals (such as snails, clams, or squids) with a soft unsegmented body usually enclosed in a calcareous shell
broadly
: shellfish
Examples of mollusk in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After a one-two punch from nasty hurricanes, Irma in 2017 and Ian in 2022, the Florida population of the mollusk took a nosedive.
—
Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 18 June 2024
Throughout history, shipworms — stringy mollusks that bore into wood — have wreaked havoc on the world’s navies, causing once-seaworthy ships to capsize and even destroying San Francisco’s wharves a century ago.
—Erin Blakemore, Washington Post, 16 June 2024
And one is far more likely to find fossils of algae, plants, mollusks, crustaceans, or similar smaller creatures than human remains.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 18 Apr. 2024
If the water is too cloudy, sediment could smother the filter-feeding mollusks.
—Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 12 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mollusk 
Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 18 June 2024
Throughout history, shipworms — stringy mollusks that bore into wood — have wreaked havoc on the world’s navies, causing once-seaworthy ships to capsize and even destroying San Francisco’s wharves a century ago.
—Erin Blakemore, Washington Post, 16 June 2024
And one is far more likely to find fossils of algae, plants, mollusks, crustaceans, or similar smaller creatures than human remains.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 18 Apr. 2024
If the water is too cloudy, sediment could smother the filter-feeding mollusks.
—Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 12 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mollusk
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mollusk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Mollusk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mollusk. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mollusk
noun
mol·lusk
variants
or mollusc
: any of a large phylum of invertebrate animals (as snails, clams, and octopuses) with a soft body lacking segments and usually enclosed in a shell containing calcium
Medical Definition
mollusk
noun
mol·lusk
variants
or mollusc
: any invertebrate animal of the phylum Mollusca
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