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Webster 1913 Edition


Nautilus

Nau′ti-lus

,
Noun.
;
pl. E.
Nautiluses
(#)
, L.
Nautili
(#)
.
[L., fr. Gr.
ναυτίλοσ
a seaman, sailor, a kind of shellfish which was supposed to be furnished with a membrane which served as a sail; fr.
ναῦσ
ship. See
Nave
of a church.]
1.
(Zool.)
The only existing genus of tetrabranchiate cephalopods. About four species are found living in the tropical Pacific, but many other species are found fossil. The shell is spiral, symmetrical, and chambered, or divided into several cavities by simple curved partitions, which are traversed and connected together by a continuous and nearly central tube or siphuncle. See
Tetrabranchiata
.
☞ The head of the animal bears numerous simple tapered arms, or tentacles, arranged in groups, but not furnished with suckers. The siphon, unlike, that of ordinary cephalopods, is not a closed tube, and is not used as a locomotive organ, but merely serves to conduct water to and from the gill cavity, which contains two pairs of gills. The animal occupies only the outer chamber of the shell; the others are filled with gas. It creeps over the bottom of the sea, not coming to the surface to swim or sail, as was formerly imagined.
2.
The argonaut; – also called
paper nautilus
. See
Argonauta
, and
Paper nautilus
, under
Paper
.
3.
A variety of diving bell, the lateral as well as vertical motions of which are controlled, by the occupants.

Webster 1828 Edition


Nautilus

NAUTILUS

,
Noun.
[L.,Gr. A ship] A genus of marine animals, whose shell consists of one spiral valve divided into several apartments by partitions. There are many species. This animal, when it sails, extends two of its arms, and between these supports a membrane that serves as a sail. With two other arms it rows or steers.
Learn of the little nautilus to sail.

Definition 2024


nautilus

nautilus

See also: Nautilus

English

Nautilus

Noun

nautilus (plural nautiluses or nautili)

  1. A marine mollusc, of the family Nautilidae native to the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, which has tentacles and a spiral shell with a series of air-filled chambers, of which Nautilus is the type genus.
    • 1956Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars, p 44
      He was still prepared to go on collecting all that life could offer, like a chambered nautilus patiently adding new cells to its slowly expanding spiral.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations


Latin

nautilus (paper nautilus)

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ναυτίλος (nautílos, nautilus, sailor); see naval.

Pronunciation

Noun

nautilus m (genitive nautilī); second declension

  1. paper nautilus, argonaut (genus Argonauta)

Inflection

Second declension.

Case Singular Plural
nominative nautilus nautilī
genitive nautilī nautilōrum
dative nautilō nautilīs
accusative nautilum nautilōs
ablative nautilō nautilīs
vocative nautile nautilī

Related terms

Descendants

  • English: nautilus
  • Translingual: Nautilus

References