mollusk

/'mɔləsk/ Cách viết khác : (mollusk) /'mɔləsk/

Definition

Noun: A mollusk is an invertebrate animal with a soft body that is not divided into segments. Most mollusks have a hard external shell that protects their body, but some, like slugs and octopuses, have a reduced internal shell or no shell at all. Mollusks are a large and diverse group of animals found in both aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Usage

The word "mollusk" is used to refer to any member of the phylum Mollusca. It is a standard scientific and general term. * Snails, clams, and octopuses are all types of mollusk. * The study of mollusks is called malacology. * Many mollusks, like oysters, are an important food source for humans.

Examples

The tide pool was teeming with marine life, including several colorful mollusks clinging to the rocks.
A mollusk such as a snail moves by gliding on a muscular foot.
The fossil record shows that mollusks have existed for hundreds of millions of years.

Advanced Usage

"Mollusk shell": Refers specifically to the hard, protective outer layer secreted by many mollusks.
- The collector had a cabinet filled with beautiful and intricate mollusk shells from around the world.
In a figurative or poetic sense, "mollusk" can be used to describe something soft, slow-moving, or vulnerable.
- After the long illness, he felt like a mollusk without its shell, utterly exposed to the world.

Variants and Related Words

Mollusc: (Noun) The preferred spelling in British English. It has the same meaning as "mollusk."
Molluscan: (Adjective) Relating to or characteristic of mollusks.
- The exhibit focused on the molluscan fauna of the coral reef.
Malacology: (Noun) The branch of zoology that deals with the study of mollusks.

Synonyms

Shellfish: (Noun) A culinary and commercial term for edible aquatic mollusks and crustaceans. Note: This is not a perfect synonym, as "shellfish" includes animals like shrimp and crabs, which are not mollusks.
Bivalve/Univalve/Cephalopod: (Nouns) These are specific classes the mollusk phylum (e.g., clams are bivalves, snails are univalves, octopuses are cephalopods).

Related Phrases

Mollusk fauna: The community of mollusk species living in a particular region or habitat.
- The research paper documented the unique mollusk fauna of the deep-sea vent.

Noun

invertebrate having a soft unsegmented body usually enclosed in a shell

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