abalone

noun

ab·​a·​lo·​ne ˌa-bə-ˈlō-nē  ˈa-bə-ˌlō-nē 

: any of a genus (Haliotis) of edible rock-clinging gastropod mollusks that have a flattened shell slightly spiral in form, lined with mother-of-pearl, and with a row of apertures along its outer edge

Examples of abalone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s a variety of matching necklaces in the collection for every color, from the vintage gold locket to the gorgeous Harlow statement necklace with large pink abalone stones. —Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 12 June 2025

The artwork features a traditional fishing junk, abalone and rockfish, and elements of Chinese ink art, and there are QR codes on the surrounding sidewalks to learn more about the story behind the installation. —Kate Murphy, Axios, 2 May 2025

Zoom in: The new mural by local artists Janelle Louie and Thao Huynh French pays tribute to the early Chinese fishermen who pioneered the local abalone fishing industry and established the area as San Diego's Chinatown. —Kate Murphy, Axios, 2 May 2025

The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary protects beaches and shorelines, and also extends 60 miles into the Pacific Ocean, safeguarding a variety of flora, like dense kelp forests, and fauna, including leopard and horn sharks, blue whales, and black abalone. —Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish abulón, from Rumsen (American Indian language of Monterey Bay, California) aulon

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for abalone

• atony
• baloney
• begone
• canzone
• estrone
• fanconi
• mansoni
• moloney
• morone
• ngoni
• pallone
• quinone

Kids Definition

abalone

noun

ab·​a·​lo·​ne ˌab-ə-ˈlō-nē  ˈab-ə-ˌ 

: a mollusk with a flattened slightly spiral shell that has holes along the edge and is lined with mother-of-pearl