gastropod
pronunciation
How to pronounce gastropod in British English:
UK [ˈgæstrəpɒd]
How to pronounce gastropod in American English:
US [ˈgæstrəpɑd]
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- Noun:
- a class of mollusks typically having a one-piece coiled shell and flattened muscular foot with a head bearing stalked eyes
Word Origin
- gastropod (n.)
- 1826, gasteropod (spelling without -e- by 1854), from Modern Latin Gasteropoda, name of a class of mollusks, from Greek gaster (genitive gastros) "stomach" (see gastric) + pous (genitive podos) "foot," from PIE root *ped- (1) "a foot" (see foot (n.)). From the ventral position of the mollusk's "foot."
Example
- 1. This new species of hydatinid gastropod was discovered from a sperm whale carcass in the deep sea .
- 2. This gastropod ( from the hydatinidae family ) was recently discovered living on a sperm whale carcass in the deep sea near kagoshima in southern japan .
- 3. A ciliated swimming organ that develops in certain larval stages of most marine gastropod mollusks .
- 4. Freshwater or marine or terrestrial gastropod mollusk usually having an external enclosing spiral shell .
- 5. The largest known land gastropod is the african giant snail achatina achatina , the largest recorded specimen of which measured 39.3cm ( 15.5 in ) from snout to tail when fully extended , with a shell length of 27.3cm ( 10.75 in ) and weighed exactly 900g ( 2lb )