moon shell

noun

1. any marine gastropod of the family Naticidae, having a rounded, short-spired, smooth shell.
2. the shell itself.

Word History and Origins

Origin of moon shell¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

As she picks up shell after shell during her seaside musings, Author Lindbergh seems to hear in them the murmur of delicate truths�the double-sunrise suggests the early stage of marriage; the oyster, with small shells clinging to its back, symbolizes the middle years of marriage, children, the home; the moon shell reminds her of the importance of solitude.

From Time Magazine Archive