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Synonyms

abalone

American  
[ab-uh-loh-nee] / ˌæb əˈloʊ ni /

noun

  1. a large mollusk of the genus Haliotis, having a bowllike shell bearing a row of respiratory holes, the flesh of which is used for food and the shell for ornament and as a source of mother-of-pearl.

abalone British  
/ ˌæbəˈləʊnɪ /

noun

  1. Also called: ear shell.  any of various edible marine gastropod molluscs of the genus Haliotis, having an ear-shaped shell that is perforated with a row of respiratory holes. The shells are used for ornament or decoration See also ormer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of abalone

1840–50, taken as singular of California Spanish abulones, plural of abulón, aulón < a word in Rumsen, a Costanoan language formerly spoken at Monterey, California

Explanation

An abalone is a mollusk found in warm seas. Abalones have an ear-shaped shell with a pearly interior. It hardly seems fair that this large mollusk is only one syllable away from being baloney, since the two words are unrelated. The pearly interior of the abalone — which yields mother-of-pearl — makes this animal quite a prize, since mother-of-pearl is used in many types of jewelry. The abalone is part of the genus Haliotis: because of its ear-shaped shell, it is also known as a sea ear or ear shell. Other mollusks include squid, clams, and octopuses.

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Vocabulary lists containing abalone

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Kim Namin, 29, runs a seasoned gim processing factory with a 30-year family history in Wando, an island in South Korea's southern waters known for abalone and seaweed production.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

On special is an abalone soup, an alien beast in his time, and not our cup of tea, but they say Hemingway took a shine.

From Salon • Jul. 12, 2025

Due to the condition of the abalone recovered from the vehicle, police said they could not be returned to their natural habitat and had to be disposed.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2025

He took loads of halibut and abalone off the La Costa Beach.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2025

Twenty or thirty buildings were made of abalone, white but gleaming with rainbow colors.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.