Bulimus
/ˈbjuːlɪməs/Zoology
noun
A (former) genus of land and freshwater snails; (also bulimus) a snail of this genus.
- The genus Bulimus was originally very large, containing diverse species which have now been assigned to other genera (of various families). The genus name itself was suppressed by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature in 1957, but is still occasionally used, mainly by parasitologists for certain snails which are intermediate hosts for liver flukes (most of which are now considered to be members of the genus Bithynia (family Bithyniidae))..
Origin
Early 19th century. From scientific Latin Bulimus, genus name, apparently an error for or alteration of scientific Latin Bulinus, earlier name of the genus; from French bulin (Adanson, 1757, loc. cit.) from bulle bubble + -in, so called on account of the fact that after the snail's death its shell floats like a little bubble of air), perhaps by association with ancient Greek βούλιμος. Post-classical Latin bulimus is also attested denoting an internal parasite (in an undated glossary and in an 8th-cent. British glossarial source).