snail

[ sneyl ]

noun

1. any mollusk of the class Gastropoda, having a spirally coiled shell and a ventral muscular foot on which it slowly glides about.
2. a slow or lazy person; sluggard.
3. Machinery. a cam having the form of a spiral.
4. Midwestern and Western U.S. a sweet roll in spiral form, especially a cinnamon roll or piece of Danish pastry.

snail

/ sneɪl /

noun

1. any of numerous terrestrial or freshwater gastropod molluscs with a spirally coiled shell, esp any of the family Helicidae, such as Helix aspersa ( garden snail )
2. any other gastropod with a spirally coiled shell, such as a whelk
3. a slow-moving or lazy person or animal

Derived Forms

• ˈsnail-ˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• snaillike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of snail¹

before 900; Middle English snail, snayl ( e ), Old English snegel; cognate with Low German snagel, German (dial.) Schnegel

Word History and Origins

Origin of snail¹

Old English snægl; related to Old Norse snigill, Old High German snecko

Example Sentences

In “Snail,” a traumatized and lonely young Grace risks becoming a hoarding hermit until she bonds with the older Pinky, who is the essence of joie de vivre.

From Los Angeles Times

But “Will & Harper” is not the only film this awards season that pivots around a key friendship: “Nickel Boys,” “Challengers” and the stop-motion “Memoir of a Snail” also focus on friendships, while “A Real Pain” keys on cousins who are close enough to be considered pals.

From Los Angeles Times

Pedro Almodóvar explores one friend helping another with a euthanasia decision in “The Room Next Door,” while writer-director Adam Elliot returns to the intergenerational friendship dynamic of his 2009 stop-motion film “Mary and Max” with “Snail.”

From Los Angeles Times

According to legend, Tyre is the place where purple pigment was first created - the dye crushed out of snail shells to embroider royal robes.

From BBC

Grace is the snail of Elliot’s title; she’s constantly wearing a hat adorned with two tentacled eyes made out of juggling balls.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• clam
• conch
• crawfish
• crustacean
• lobster
• mollusk
• mussel
• oyster
• prawn
• scallop
• shrimp