spirula

(spir′yə lə, spī′ro̵o lə)

noun pl. spirulae

any of a genus (Spirula) of two-gilled, deep-water cephalopods, having a flat spiral shell with a series of chambers

Origin: ModL, name of the genus, dim. of L spira: see spire

See spirula in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. spir·u·lae (-lēˌ)

A small cephalopod mollusk of the genus Spirula, having a spirally coiled, partitioned internal shell.

Origin:

Origin: Late Latin spīrula, twisted cake

Origin: , diminutive of Latin spīra, coil; see spire²

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