whelk

views updated May 14 2018

whelk1 / (h)welk/ • n. a predatory marine mollusk (family Buccinidae) with a heavy, pointed spiral shell, some kinds of which are edible.whelk2 • n. archaic a pimple.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

whelk

views updated May 11 2018

whelk Edible, marine gastropod distributed worldwide on seashores. It has a coiled shell, with a smooth rim and a notch at the end. Family Buccinidae. Length: 13–18cm (5–7in).

World Encyclopedia

whelk

views updated May 29 2018

whelk mollusc of the genus Buccinum. OE. weoloc, wioloc, of unkn. orig.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

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