abalone

noun ab·a·lo·ne \ ˌa-bə-ˈlō-nē , ˈa-bə-ˌ \

Updated on: 10 Dec 2017

Definition of abalone

: any of a genus (Haliotis) of edible rock-clinging gastropod mollusks that have a flattened shell slightly spiral in form, lined with mother-of-pearl, and with a row of apertures along its outer edge

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Recent Examples of abalone from the Web

Tucker surfed in Costa Rica, off Mexico and in the Pacific, fished, and dove for abalone.

— diane herbst, PEOPLE.com, "Californian Killed in Barcelona Attack While Celebrating Wedding Anniversary ‘Didn’t Live a Life Afraid’ of Terrorism," 19 Aug. 2017
Conveniently located on the Bund, this vegetarian and vegan restaurant serves up such filling, flavorful delights as fried abalone mushroom rolls with zucchini.

— todd plummer, Vogue, "Eat, Sleep, and Play Like a Victoria's Secret Angel in Shanghai," 20 Oct. 2017
The equipment, which Meyer had first guessed was for cooking donkey meat, was being used to process abalone, a marine shellfish smuggled by the ton from South Africa to China each year.

— National Geographic, "Rush for Donkey Skins in China Draws Wildlife Traffickers," 22 Sep. 2017
Tomatillo salsa verde was a mere footnote to a lovely plate of pea vines, abalone mushrooms, fregola sarde and king salmon.

— providence cicero, The Seattle Times, "2120: Exciting Latin-influenced dining in Amazonia," 21 Sep. 2017
Finally, the team added paint, abalone shells, hair and a trailer of white ermine skins.

— meilan solly, Smithsonian, "This Replica of a Tlingit Killer Whale Hat Is Spurring Dialogue About Digitization," 11 Sep. 2017
Try out dishes like sea urchin eggs, Hawaiian abalone, and octopus.

— Condé Nast Traveler, "Fairmont Orchid," 20 Oct. 2017
But sea otters whack abalone shells with rocks; octopuses build fortresses by stacking coconut shells.

— kim tingley, New York Times, "Letter of Recommendation: Zip Ties," 14 Sep. 2017
For those unfamiliar, white abalone are considered functionally extinct along the California coast because of over-harvesting.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "Is the Mysterious Sea Cucumber Slipping Out of Our Grasp?," 4 Nov. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abalone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of abalone

American Spanish abulón, from Rumsen (American Indian language of Monterey Bay, California) aulon

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First Known Use: 1850

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ABALONE Defined for English Language Learners

abalone

noun

Definition of abalone for English Language Learners

: a type of shellfish that is eaten as food and that has a shell that is lined with a hard white material (called mother-of-pearl)

ABALONE Defined for Kids

abalone

noun ab·a·lo·ne \ ˌa-bə-ˈlō-nē \

Definition of abalone for Students

: a shellfish that is a mollusk which has a flattened shell with a pearly lining

Learn More about abalone

See words that rhyme with abalone Spanish Central: Translation of abalone Nglish: Translation of abalone for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of abalone for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about abalone

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abalone

Definition of abalone

Recent Examples of abalone from the Web

Origin and Etymology of abalone

ABALONE Defined for English Language Learners

abalone

Definition of abalone for English Language Learners

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abalone

Definition of abalone for Students

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