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

Humans can also get infected by eating raw produce—like leafy greens—that have been contaminated with slug slime because the L3 larvae are shed in the gastropods' slime trail. —Ars Technica, 11 Mar. 2025

Join 1 other in the comments View Comments A predatory gastropod named Turridrupa magnifica was another remarkable find. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025

These gastropods, the size of a Tic Tac, are wildly abundant on the mudflats of San Francisco Bay, and pungent too. —Quanta Magazine, 5 Mar. 2025

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

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Gastropoda, class name

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gastropod

• amphipod
• arthropod
• copepod
• decapod
• endopod
• escalade
• esplanade
• exopod
• goldenrod
• isopod
• overawed
• overbroad

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foot at the bottom and usually both a distinct head bearing sense organs and a spiral shell into which the body can be withdrawn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