Whelk: meaning, definitions and examples
๐
whelk
[ welk ]
seafood
A large marine snail with a spirally coiled shell, several whelks are edible and used as food.
Synonyms
sea snail, whelk shell.
Which Synonym Should You Choose?
Word | Description / Examples |
---|---|
whelk |
This term is typically used in the context of cooking or marine biology to refer to a type of sea snail with a distinctive shell.
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sea snail |
This is a more general term used to describe various species of snails that live in the sea. It is often used in educational or scientific contexts.
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whelk shell |
This phrase refers specifically to the shell of a whelk. It is often used when talking about collecting shells or in the context of crafts and decorations.
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Examples of usage
- The fishermen caught some whelks for dinner.
- She ordered a dish of whelks at the seafood restaurant.
British informal
A slow or foolish person.
Synonyms
Which Synonym Should You Choose?
Word | Description / Examples |
---|---|
whelk |
This word refers to a type of sea snail and is typically used in a marine biology context or when talking about seafood.
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slowpoke |
This word is used to describe someone who moves, acts, or responds slowly. It is often used in a casual or slightly humorous context, but it can have a mildly negative connotation.
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fool |
This term is used to describe someone who is acting in a silly or stupid way. It has a negative connotation and is often used to criticize someone's actions or decisions.
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Examples of usage
- He's a bit of a whelk, isn't he?
- Don't be such a whelk, hurry up!
Translations
Translations of the word "whelk" in other languages:
๐ต๐น bรบzio
๐ฎ๐ณ เคเฅเคเคเคพ
๐ฉ๐ช Wellhornschnecke
๐ฎ๐ฉ siput laut
๐บ๐ฆ ะผะพัััะบะธะน ัะฐะฒะปะธะบ
๐ต๐ฑ trฤ bik
๐ฏ๐ต ใใคใฌใค
๐ซ๐ท buccin
๐ช๐ธ bรญgaro
๐น๐ท deniz salyangozu
๐ฐ๐ท ๊ณ ๋ฅ
๐ธ๐ฆ ุจูุฑุณููู
๐จ๐ฟ moลskรฝ ลกnek
๐ธ๐ฐ morskรฝ slimรกk
๐จ๐ณ ่บ
๐ธ๐ฎ morska polลพ
๐ฎ๐ธ skeljasnigill
๐ฐ๐ฟ ัะตาฃัะท าฑะปัะปะฐัั
๐ฌ๐ช แแแแแแแแแแ
๐ฆ๐ฟ dษniz ilbizi
๐ฒ๐ฝ bรญgaro
Etymology
The word 'whelk' originated from Middle English 'whelke', from Old English 'wylca', which is of Germanic origin. Whelks have been used as food since ancient times, with evidence of their consumption dating back to the Roman era. The term 'whelk' has also been used figuratively to describe a slow or foolish person, likely due to the slow movement of the sea snail.
Word Frequency Rank
Ranking #37,157, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.
- ...
- 37154 outdoing
- 37155 velocipede
- 37156 accountabilities
- 37157 whelk
- 37158 waggle
- 37159 vagary
- 37160 plopping
- ...