dog-whelk
[See whelk.]
A member of the marine mollusc family Nassariidæ, esp. Nassarius reticulatus; also = dog-winkle (s.v. dog n.1 20 c).
| 1856 Gosse Marine Zool. II. 129 Nassa, Dog-whelk. 1882 Standard 26 Sept. 2/2 The dog-whelk..is likewise a great enemy to the [cockle]. 1901 E. Step Shell Life xv. 257 The Dog-whelks (Nassa) are almost as well-known as the Purples. 1960 J. A. C. Nicol Biol. Marine Animals xi. 487 Another interesting case is the dog-whelk Nucella lapillus. 1968 N. F. McMillan Brit. Shells 50 Nucella lapillus...Dog Whelk. Ibid. 53 Nassariidæ, or dog-whelks, are scavengers. Ibid., Nassarius reticulatus...Dog-whelk. |