Meaning & use
snail shell
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
the hard, rounded protective case that a snail carries on its back
Grammar: Countable: you can say a snail shell or snail shells.
Patterns
- a snail shell
- the snail shell
- snail shells
We found an empty snail shell on the garden path.
The snail shell was a pale brown color with spiral lines.
She collects snail shells and keeps them in a glass jar.
Word forms
| plural | snail shells |
|---|
Common combinations
- empty snail shell
- The beach was covered with empty snail shells.
- spiral snail shell
- The spiral snail shell is a common shape in nature.
- collect snail shells
- As a child, I liked to collect snail shells.
- snail shell pattern
- The wallpaper had a snail shell pattern.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shell
- This is the general word for any hard outer covering, such as an eggshell or a seashell; 'snail shell' is specific to snails.
Word family
- snail noun
- a small soft-bodied animal that moves slowly and usually has a shell
Commonly confused: snail shell or seashell?
snail shell vs seashell
A seashell is the shell of a sea creature, often found on the beach; a snail shell is from a land or water snail.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'snail shell' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A snail shell is an object you can pick up and find on the ground or beach. Option 0 is wrong because the shell itself does not crawl; the snail does. Option 2 is wrong because shells do not fly. Option 3 is wrong because a shell is not worn as a hat.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “snail shell”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.