spirula


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Related to spirula: Horn shell, spirulina, spinula

spir·u·la

 (spĭr′yə-lə, spĭr′ə-)
n. pl. spir·u·lae (-lē′)
A small squid of the genus Spirula, having a spirally coiled, chambered, internal shell often found on beaches.

[Late Latin spīrula, twisted cake, diminutive of Latin spīra, coil; see spire2.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

spirula

(ˈspaɪrʊlə)
n
(Animals) a tropical cephalopod mollusc, Spirula peronii, having prominent eyes, short arms, and a small flattened spirally coiled internal shell: order Decapoda (cuttlefish and squids)
[C19: via New Latin from Late Latin: a small twisted cake, from Latin spīra a coil]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.spirula - a small tropical cephalopod of the genus Spirula having prominent eyes and short arms and a many-chambered shell coiled in a flat spiralspirula - a small tropical cephalopod of the genus Spirula having prominent eyes and short arms and a many-chambered shell coiled in a flat spiral
decapod - cephalopods having eight short tentacles plus two long ones
genus Spirula - genus of small cephalopods with many-chambered spiral shells resembling those of the extinct belemnites
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
References in periodicals archive ?
The Ram's horn squid Spirula spirula also has a small, partially internalised, chambered shell that functions in much the same way.
(1973): Microstructure of the skeletal layers of Sepia and Spirula compared with the shell layers of other mollusks.
Ahmed Mekkawy, founder Spirula System and admin of the online Egyptian GNU/Linux User Group (Eglug.org) said the government has very much been receptive to using Open Source software but is looking to have a well-structured plan before implementing any changes.