limpet

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: lim=pet

CIDE DICTIONARY

limpet, n. [Prob. through French fr. L. lepas, -adis, Gr. lepa`s, -a`dos.].

•  In a general sense, any hatshaped, or conical, gastropod shell.  [1913 Webster]
•  Any one of many species of marine shellfish of the order Docoglossa, mostly found adhering to rocks, between tides.  [1913 Webster]

  " The common European limpets of the genus Patella (esp. Patella vulgata) are extensively used as food. The common New England species is Acmæa testudinalis. Numerous species of limpets occur on the Pacific coast of America, some of them of large size."  [1913 Webster]
•  Somthing or someone that clings tenaciously to another object or person;  [PJC]
•  Any species of Siphonaria, a genus of limpet-shaped Pulmonifera, living between tides, on rocks.  [1913 Webster]
•  A keyhole limpet. See Fissurella.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

limpet, n.
1 any of various marine gastropod molluscs, esp. the common limpet Patella vulgata, with a shallow conical shell and a broad muscular foot that sticks tightly to rocks.
2 a clinging person.

Idiom

limpet mine a mine designed to be attached to a ship's hull and set to explode after a certain time.

Etymology

OE lempedu f. med.L lampreda limpet, LAMPREY

THESAURUS

limpet

Chilopoda, Chordata, Dungeness crab, Echiuroidea, Ectoprocta, Entoprocta, Japanese crab, Monoplacophora, Nemertinea, Phoronidea, adherent, adhesive, barnacle, blue point, bramble, brier, bulldog, burr, cement, clam, coquillage, crab, crawdad, crawfish, crayfish, decal, decalcomania, glue, gunk, langouste, leech, littleneck clam, lobster, molasses, mucilage, mussel, oyster, paste, periwinkle, plaster, prawn, prickle, quahog, remora, scallop, shellfish, shrimp, snail, soft-shell crab, steamer, sticker, syrup, thorn, whelk