Mollusca
/məˈlʌskə/Zoology
noun
In form Mollusca, with singular or plural concord. Originally: a heterogeneous group of mostly shell-less invertebrates, forming the second order of the class Vermes in Linnaeus's classification (Systema Naturae (ed. 10, 1758) I. vi. ii. 652) and including cephalopods, echinoderms, hydroids, slugs, and annelids. Now, mainly following the classification proposed by Cuvier in 1788–1800: a phylum of invertebrates that live in aquatic or damp habitats and have a soft, unsegmented body and usually an external calcareous shell. Also, treated as plural (also mollusca): animals of this phylum (collectively or individually).
- The phylum includes gastropods (slugs and snails), bivalves (clams, oysters, etc.), and cephalopods (octopuses, squids, and cuttlefishes). Cuvier's original phylum also included brachiopods (lamp shells), tunicates, and cirripedes (barnacles). Bryozoans were included among the Mollusca for a time, and then separated again..
Origin
Mid 17th century; earliest use found in Robert Lovell (?1630–1690), naturalist. From post-classical Latin Mollusca, name of a group comprising cephalopods (J. Jonston Historiae Naturalis ii. 3/1, after use of classical Latin mollia (in Pliny), ancient Greek μαλάκια (in Aristotle) as the name of such a group; subsequently adopted in scientific Latin: see definition), use as noun of neuter plural of classical Latin molluscus from mollis soft + -scus, variant (with -s- extension) of -cus, suffix forming adjectives.
- shot-put
- shot-putter
- shot-putting
- shotted
- shotten herring
- shottist
- shot to pieces (or to hell)
- shot tower
- shoujo
- should
- shoulder
- shoulder arms
- shoulder bag
- shoulder belt
- shoulder blade
- shoulder charge
- shouldered
- shoulder harness
- shoulder-high
- shoulder holster
- shoulder-in
- shoulder joint
- shoulder knot
- shoulder-length
- shoulder pad