whelk

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈ(h)welk How to pronounce whelk (audio) ˈ(h)wilk How to pronounce whelk (audio)
Synonyms of whelknext
: any of numerous large marine snails (as of the genus Buccinum)
especially : one (B. undatum) used as food in Europe

Illustration of whelk

Illustration of whelk

whelk

2 of 2

noun (2)

ˈ(h)welk How to pronounce whelk (audio)
: papule, pustule

Synonyms of whelk

Relevance

Noun (2)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of whelk in a Sentence

Noun (2) unsightly whelks covered the beggar's face
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.
Noun
And for those looking to collect shells, this is the place for rare angel wings, whelks, and sand dollars. — Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2026 Smaller critters — hermit crabs, lightning whelks and snails — skittered along the seafloor. — Max Chesnes, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026 Search for shells at the shoreline, and you'll be surprised by the amount of perfectly intact, yet tiny whelks, cockles, and olive shells. — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 20 June 2026 On board the 30-foot Salford sailing whelk yacht, there’s silence except for the creak of ropes and gurgle of our wake. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for whelk

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English welke, from Old English weoloc; akin to Middle Dutch willoc whelk and perhaps to Latin volvere to turn — more at voluble

Noun (2)

Middle English whelke, from Old English hwylca, from hwelian to suppurate

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Rhymes for whelk

See All Rhymes for whelk

Browse Nearby Words

whekau
whelk
whelked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whelk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whelk. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

whelk

noun
ˈhwelk, 
ˈwelk, 
ˈwilk
: any of numerous large marine snails
especially : one used for food in Europe

More from Merriam-Webster on whelk

Nglish: Translation of whelk for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about whelk

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All