First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1snail
noun \ˈsnāl\
: a small animal that lives in a shell that it carries on its back, that moves very slowly, and that can live in water or on land
Full Definition of SNAIL
1
: a gastropod mollusk especially when having an external enclosing spiral shell
2
: a slow-moving or sluggish person or thing
— snail·like \ˈsnāl-ˌlīk\ adjective
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Origin of SNAIL
Middle English, from Old English snægl; akin to Old High German snecko snail, snahhan to creep
Related to SNAIL
Rhymes with SNAIL
2snail
intransitive verb
Definition of SNAIL
: to move, act, or go slowly or lazily
First Known Use of SNAIL
1582
SNAIL Defined for Kids
snail
noun \ˈsnāl\
Definition of SNAIL for Kids
: a small slow-moving mollusk that has a spiral shell into which it can draw itself for safety and that can live either on land or in water
Medical Dictionary
snail
noun \ˈsnā(ə)l\
Medical Definition of SNAIL
: any of various gastropod mollusks and especially those having an external enclosing spiral shell including some which are important in medicine as intermediate hosts of trematodes
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