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

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

Inspired by gastropod’s locomotion, Wavy-sheet can generate continuous traveling waves on the whole soft body. —Erico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 2 June 2017

The problem is due in part to the gastropod’s low population, but also to infertility and lethargy caused by warming waters. —Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Sep. 2024

Efforts to release the gastropods back into their native habitat started in earnest in 2015, and have continued ever since; in April 2023, for example, the team released more than 5,000 snails on the French Polynesian islands of Tahiti and Mo’orea. —Darren Incorvaia, New York Times, 28 May 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foot at the bottom and usually both a distinct head bearing sense organs and a spiral shell into which the body can be withdrawn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