whelk

/welk/

Thân thiện

A fisherman gathers whelk from the rocky shore at low tide.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A large marine snail: A whelk is a type of large, edible sea snail with a spiral shell, often found in coastal waters.
   • The shell of this animal: The term can also refer to the strong, snail-like shell itself.

2. Verb:

   • To gather whelks: The act of collecting these marine snails, typically for food.

Examples

• Noun:
  • We found several whelks clinging to the rocks at low tide.
  • The whelk's shell was empty and washed up on the beach.
• Verb:
  • The fishermen went to whelk in the shallow bays.

Advanced Usage

• "Whelk fishery": An industry or activity focused on catching whelks.
  • The local economy was supported by the whelk fishery.

Variants and Related Words

• Whelker (n): A person who gathers whelks.
• Whelking (n): The activity or practice of gathering whelks.

Synonyms

• Sea snail: A general term for marine gastropod mollusks.
• Conch: Although a conch is typically a different type of large sea snail, the terms are sometimes loosely associated.

Related Phrases

• Whelk bed: An area of the seabed where whelks are commonly found.
  • The boat headed for the known whelk bed.

Học thuật

Noun

1. large carnivorous marine gastropods of coastal waters and intertidal regions having a strong snail-like shell
2. large marine snail much used as food in Europe

Verb

1. gather whelk