mollusc

mollusc
\ \ [18] Etymologically, a mollusc is a ‘soft’ creature. The word comes ultimately from Latin molluscussoft’, a derivative of mollissoft’. In classical times it was used as a noun for various ‘soft’ things, such as a sort of thinshelled nut and a species of fungus that grew from maple trees, but its application to a range of invertebrate animals seems to have been introduced by the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus in the mid-18th century. Latin mollis (source also of English mollify [15]) goes back ultimately to Indo-European *mel-, *mol-, *ml- ‘grind’, which also produced English mealflour’, mill, and molar.
\ \ Cf.MEAL, MELT, MILD, MILL, MOLAR, MOLLIFY

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mollusc — Mol lusc, n. (Zo[ o]l.) Same as {Mollusk}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • mollusc — [mäl′əsk] n. MOLLUSK molluscan [mə lus′kən] adj., n. * * * mol·lusc (mŏlʹəsk) n. Variant of mollusk. * * * …   Universalium

  • mollusc — (n.) see MOLLUSK (Cf. mollusk) …   Etymology dictionary

  • mollusc — (US mollusk) ► NOUN Zoology ▪ an invertebrate animal of a large group including snails, slugs, and mussels, with a soft unsegmented body and often an external shell. DERIVATIVES molluscan adjective. ORIGIN from Latin mollis soft …   English terms dictionary

  • mollusc — [mäl′əsk] n. MOLLUSK molluscan [mə lus′kən] adj., n …   English World dictionary

  • mollusc — [[t]mɒ̱ləsk[/t]] molluscs N COUNT A mollusc is an animal such as a snail, clam, or octopus which has a soft body. Many types of mollusc have hard shells to protect them. (in AM, use mollusk) …   English dictionary

  • mollusc — UK [ˈmɒləsk] / US [ˈmɑləsk] noun [countable] Word forms mollusc : singular mollusc plural molluscs biology an animal that has a soft body with no bones and is usually covered by a hard shell, for example a snail or an octopus …   English dictionary

  • mollusc — Mollusk Mol lusk, n. [F. mollusque, L. mollusca a kind of soft nut with a thin shell, fr. molluscus soft, mollis soft. See {Mollify}.] (Zo[ o]l.) One of the Mollusca. [Written also {mollusc}.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • mollusc — SYN: mollusk. * * * mollusc var of MOLLUSK …   Medical dictionary

  • mollusc — [18] Etymologically, a mollusc is a ‘soft’ creature. The word comes ultimately from Latin molluscus ‘soft’, a derivative of mollis ‘soft’. In classical times it was used as a noun for various ‘soft’ things, such as a sort of thinshelled nut and a …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

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