snail

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun freshwater or marine or terrestrial gastropod mollusk usually having an external enclosing spiral shell
  2. noun edible terrestrial snail usually served in the shell with a sauce of melted butter and garlic
  3. verb gather snails

Etymology

From Middle English snayl, snail, from the Old English sneġel, from Proto-Germanic *snagilaz. Cognate with Low German Snagel, Snâel, Snâl (“snail”), German Schnegel (“slug”). Compare also Old Norse snigill, from Proto-Germanic *snigilaz.

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