variants
or mollusc
: any of a large phylum (Mollusca) of invertebrate animals (such as snails, clams, or squids) with a soft unsegmented body usually enclosed in a calcareous shell
broadly
: shellfish
Examples of mollusk in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These capuchins have figured out how to use stones to crack open mollusks, snails and other edible treats that have hard shells.
—
Elizabeth Landau, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Ural River gudgeons eat larvae of a specific fly species for the first year of their lives, before expanding their palette to include larvae of other insects, mollusks, plant material and algae, according to the study.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2025
Paleontologists also found fossilized poop, plants and bivalve mollusks at the site.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
Complete with mollusks like clams, oysters, snails, and slugs, the model showed how various animals might’ve responded to the climate changes of 252 million years ago based on their modern relatives’ abilities to survive similar shifts in their environments.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mollusk
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Elizabeth Landau, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Ural River gudgeons eat larvae of a specific fly species for the first year of their lives, before expanding their palette to include larvae of other insects, mollusks, plant material and algae, according to the study.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2025
Paleontologists also found fossilized poop, plants and bivalve mollusks at the site.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
Complete with mollusks like clams, oysters, snails, and slugs, the model showed how various animals might’ve responded to the climate changes of 252 million years ago based on their modern relatives’ abilities to survive similar shifts in their environments.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mollusk
Cite this Entry
“Mollusk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mollusk. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mollusk
noun
mol·lusk
variants
or mollusc
: any of a large phylum of invertebrate animals (as snails, clams, and octopuses) with a soft body lacking segments and usually enclosed in a shell containing calcium
Medical Definition
mollusk
noun
mol·lusk
variants
or mollusc
: any invertebrate animal of the phylum Mollusca
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share