shellfish

noun

shell·​fish ˈshel-ˌfish How to pronounce shellfish (audio)
: an aquatic invertebrate animal with a shell
especially : an edible mollusk or crustacean

Examples of shellfish in a Sentence

lobsters, crabs, and other shellfish
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Within a few hours the couple, both in their mid-40s, has filled the boat with shellfish, sea urchins, mussels and crabs that Leviñanco will sell at the market in Melinka, the main island in the Guaitecas Archipelago. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 Multiple shellstock tags from prior days were not labeled with the last date the shellfish was sold. — Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026 The species, native to Western Europe and Africa, has few predators, aggressively hunts its prey, and can consume a wide variety of shellfish, including oysters, clams, mussels, lobsters, and other crabs. — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026 Vibrio, a bacteria found in salt and brackish water, is contracted when wounds are exposed to water containing the bacteria or a person eats contaminated raw or undercooked shellfish. — Eva Flowe october 21, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shellfish

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shellfish was before the 12th century

Rhymes for shellfish

See All Rhymes for shellfish

Browse Nearby Words

shellfire
shellfish
shellfishery
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shellfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shellfish. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

shellfish

noun
shell·​fish ˈshel-ˌfish How to pronounce shellfish (audio)
: an invertebrate animal that lives in water and has a shell
especially : an edible mollusk (as an oyster) or crustacean (as a crab)

More from Merriam-Webster on shellfish

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shellfish

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