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Limpet
Definitions
- 1 Any of various gastropods with a conical shell shape patelliform and a strong, muscular foot that they use to create strong suction to cling onto rocks or other hard surfaces.
- 2 any of various usually marine gastropods with low conical shells; found clinging to rocks in littoral areas wordnet
- 3 Someone clingy or dependent; someone disregarding or ignorant of another's personal space. British
"He stuck to me like a limpet all day!"
- 4 mollusk with a low conical shell wordnet
- 1 To gather limpets.
"Mother visited the little cottage over the hill, and found Lisette's story to be quite correct; and many times the Frenchwoman blessed the day when Margie went limpeting and Lisette lent the old knife to the golden-haired little English lady."
Etymology
From Middle English lempet, from Old English lempedu (“lamprey”), borrowed from Medieval Latin lampreda, alteration of Late Latin lampetra (“lamprey”), whose further origin is unknown, though is traditionally thought to derive from lambō (“I lick, lap”) + petra (“stone, rock”). Doublet of lamprey, which came through Old French.
From Middle English lempet, from Old English lempedu (“lamprey”), borrowed from Medieval Latin lampreda, alteration of Late Latin lampetra (“lamprey”), whose further origin is unknown, though is traditionally thought to derive from lambō (“I lick, lap”) + petra (“stone, rock”). Doublet of lamprey, which came through Old French.
See also for "limpet"
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