Adjacent Words

abalone definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: any of various large edible marine gastropods of the genus Haliotis having an ear-shaped shell with pearly interior [syn: abalone, ear-shell]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: American Spanish abulón, from Rumsen (American Indian language of Monterey Bay, Calif.) aulon Date: 1850 any of a genus (Haliotis) of edible rock-clinging gastropod mollusks that have a flattened shell slightly spiral in form, lined with mother-of-pearl, and with a row of apertures along its outer edge

Britannica Concise

Any of several marine snail species (genus Haliotis, family Haliotidae), found in warm seas worldwide. The outer surface of the single shell has a row of small holes, most of which fill in as the animal grows; some remain open as outlets for waste products. Abalones range from 4 to 10 in. (10-25 cm) across and up to 3 in. (8 cm) deep. The largest is the 12 in. (30 cm) abalone (H. rufescens). The shell's lustrous, iridescent interior is used in ornaments, and the large muscular foot is eaten as a delicacy. Commercial abalone fisheries exist in California, Mexico, Japan, and S. Africa.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. any mollusc of the genus Haliotis, with a shallow ear-shaped shell having respiratory holes, and lined with mother-of-pearl, e.g. the ormer. Etymology: Amer. Sp. abulón

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Abalone Ab`a*lo"ne ([a^]b`[.a]*l[=o]"n[-e]), n. (Zo["o]l.) A univalve mollusk of the genus Haliotis. The shell is lined with mother-of-pearl, and used for ornamental purposes; the sea-ear. Several large species are found on the coast of California, clinging closely to the rocks.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(abalones) Abalone is a shellfish that you can eat and that has a shiny substance called mother-of-pearl inside its shell. N-VAR