gastropod

gas·tro·pod  (gstr-pd)

n.

Any of various mollusks of the class Gastropoda, such as the snail, slug, cowrie, or limpet, characteristically having a single, usually coiled shell or no shell at all, a ventral muscular foot for locomotion, and eyes and feelers located on a distinct head.

adj.

Of or belonging to the class Gastropoda.

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[From New Latin Gastropoda, class name : gastro- + -poda, -pod.]

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gas·tropo·dan (g-strp-dn), gas·tropo·dous (-ds) adj.

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gastropod

Noun

a mollusc, such as a snail or whelk that has a single flat muscular foot, eyes on stalks, and usually a spiral shell [Greek gastēr stomach + -podos -footed]

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gastropod  (gstr-pd)

Any of various carnivorous or herbivorous mollusks of the class Gastropoda, having a head with eyes and feelers and a muscular foot on the underside of its body with which it moves. Most gastropods are aquatic, but some have adapted to life on land. Gastropods include snails, which have a coiled shell, and slugs, which have a greatly reduced shell or none at all.

Word History Snails, conchs, whelks, and many other similar animals with shells are all called gastropods by scientists. The word gastropod comes from Greek and means "stomach foot," a name that owes its existence to the unusual anatomy of snails. Snails have a broad flat muscular "foot" used for support and for forward movement. This foot runs along the underside of the animalessentially along its belly. The Greek elements gastro-, "stomach," and -pod, "foot," are found in many other scientific names, such as gastritis (an inflammation of the stomach) and sauropod ("lizard foot," a type of dinosaur).

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

gastropod - a class of mollusks typically having a one-piece coiled shell and flattened muscular foot with a head bearing stalked eyes univalve mollusc, mollusk, shellfish - invertebrate having a soft unsegmented body usually enclosed in a shell class Gasteropoda, class Gastropoda, Gasteropoda, Gastropoda - snails and slugs and their relatives abalone, ear-shell - any of various large edible marine gastropods of the genus Haliotis having an ear-shaped shell with pearly interior conch - any of various edible tropical marine gastropods of the genus Strombus having a brightly-colored spiral shell with large outer lip snail - freshwater or marine or terrestrial gastropod mollusk usually having an external enclosing spiral shell slug - any of various terrestrial gastropods having an elongated slimy body and no external shell seasnail - any of several creeping marine gastropods with a spirally coiled shell: whelks; tritons; moon shells; neritids Ancylus fluviatilis, freshwater limpet, river limpet - minute conical gastropod superficially resembling a limpet but living and feeding on freshwater plants nudibranch, sea slug - any of various marine gastropods of the suborder Nudibranchia having a shell-less and often beautifully colored body Aplysia punctata, sea hare - naked marine gastropod having a soft body with reduced internal shell and two pairs of ear-like tentacles bubble shell - marine gastropod mollusk having a very small thin shell physa - any member of the genus Physa cowrie, cowry - any of numerous tropical marine gastropods of the genus Cypraea having highly polished usually brightly marked shells aplacophoran, solenogaster - deep-water wormlike mollusks lacking calcareous plates on the body but having fine slimy spicules on the covering mantle