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whelk Definition

whelk (hwelk, welk)

noun

any of various families (esp. Buccinidae) of large marine snails which are often carnivorous and edible

Etymology: ME welke < OE wioluc < IE base *wel-, to turn (with reference to the spiral shell) > walk

whelk Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

  • common: These pollutants have led to decreases in the populations of common whelks in the North Sea and cause DNA breakdown in some marine organisms.

Modifies a noun

  • stall: Whelk stalls selling cooked whelks used to be very common in the north of England.
  • shell: A broken whelk shell reveals how the animal's body fits within the curled chamber.
  • egg: Whelk egg mass is also known as ' sea wash balls ' because early sailors used them for washing.
  • case: I have also discovered this sea slug in egg whelk cases.
  • ball: Whelk egg balls were present and it would be surprising if they weren't and some were probably blown even further inland.

Noun used with modifier

  • dog: One of the main predators are dog whelks which can be common on beaches with mussel beds.
  • baby: When these hatch, the baby whelks feed on the unfertilised eggs.

Browse dictionary entries near whelk

  1. wheezy
  2. wheeze
  3. wheen
  4. wheelwright
  5. wheelwork
  6. wheels
  7. wheelman
  8. Wheeling
  9. wheelie
  10. wheelhouse
  1. whelm
  2. whelp
  3. when
  4. when distributed
  5. when-issued
  6. whenas
  7. whence
  8. whencesoever
  9. whenever
  10. whensoever