English Explanatory Dictionary

whelk

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Certain edible sea snails, especially, any one of numerous species of large marine gastropods belonging to Buccinidae, much used as food in Europe.
noun
  1. Pimple.
  2. A stripe or mark; a ridge; a wale.

Pronunciation

/wɛlk/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-whelk.wav /hwɛlk ʍɛlk/

Word forms

whelk whelks welk whilk wilk

Etymology

From Middle English whelke, a variant of welk, from Old English weoloc, wiloc, wioloc, weluc, from Proto-West Germanic *weluk (compare Middle Dutch willoc, Dutch wulk), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn, revolve”) (whence vulva and volute). Unetymological spelling with wh- from the 15th century.

Synonyms

scungilli

Derived words

whelky Asian rapa whelk dog whelk knobbed whelk veined rapa whelk whelker whelk stall chin whelk
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