gastropod

noun

gas·​tro·​pod ˈga-strə-ˌpäd 

: any of a large class (Gastropoda) of mollusks (such as snails and slugs) usually with a univalve shell or none and a distinct head bearing sensory organs

gastropod adjective

Examples of gastropod in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The new species was found with sediment that included mollusks and other brackish-water gastropods, according to the study. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2025

That’s where the Monterey Abalone Company grows its namesake variety of seafood: red abalone, a gastropod or sea snail, that humans have harvested and traded in California for thousands of years. —Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2025

But the three-inch gastropods haven’t been seen on the island of Kauai since the mid-1900s and are presumed extinct. —Maddie Bender, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Jan. 2025

First, its closest relatives by appearance — soft-bodied marine gastropods called nudibranchs — generally live in much shallower water. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Gastropoda, class name

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

gastropod

noun

gas·​tro·​pod ˈgas-trə-ˌpäd 

: any of a large class of mollusks (as snails) that have a muscular foot at the bottom and usually both a distinct head bearing sense organs and a spiral shell into which the body can be withdrawn

gastropod adjective