abalone
abalone Lexical Profile
abalone Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An edible marine gastropod mollusk of the genus Haliotis, found in warm and temperate coastal waters worldwide, characterized by a shallow, ear-shaped shell with a row of respiratory pores.
"The marine biologist studied how changes in ocean temperature affected the growth rate of the red abalone along the Californian coast."
The large, muscular foot or flesh of the abalone snail, often considered a luxury culinary delicacy and typically prepared by pounding to tenderize before quickly pan-frying or eating raw.
"For the main course, the chef served a delicate carpaccio of thinly sliced abalone dressed with a bright citrus ponzu."
The highly iridescent inner shell of the abalone snail, prized for its natural beauty and extensively used in jewelry, musical instrument inlay, and decorative arts.
"The antique guitar featured a beautiful fingerboard adorned with intricate abalone inlays that shimmered in the stage lights."
• Rhymes for abalone
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed into English in the 19th century from American Spanish 'abulón', which derives from 'aulun', the word for red abalone in the Rumsen language (a Native American language of the Ohlone family in California).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.