Definition of snail - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
animalssmall animal with a coiled shell
- The garden was full of snails after the rain.
2.
slow personslow-moving person or thing
- He drives like a snail on the highway.
3.
technologyTECH. spiral cam used in machineryTECH.
- The clock's mechanism includes a snail for precision.
Verb
1.
movementintr. move very slowlyintr.
- The traffic began to snail along the highway..
2.
collecting snailstr. Rare gather snailstr. Rare
- They went to the garden to snail for dinner.
Images of snail

small animal with a coiled shell 
spiral cam used in machinery
Expressions with snail
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
mail sent through the postal service, often called slow compared to email
I sent the invitation by snail mail.
extremely slow progress or movement
The project is moving at a snail's pace.
extremely slow in movement or takes a long time
He is slow as a snail when getting ready.
extremely slow in movement or progress
The old computer is slower than a snail.
very slowly
The old computer runs at a snail's pace.
snail found in small freshwater bodies
We found a pond snail in the garden pond.
marine gastropod mollusk with a coiled shell
The sea snail retreated into its shell when touched..
snail that lives in water
The pond was full of water snails.
land snail common in gardens, often a pest
The garden snail ate all the lettuce.
snail living on land
I found a land snail in the garden.
very slowly
The project is moving at a snail's crawl.
seasoned butter with shallots garlic parsley
He added snail butter to the dish for extra flavor.
food made with cooked snails as the main ingredient
Escargot is a famous French snail dish.
tongue of a snail, used for eating
The snail tong helps it eat leaves.
species of snail commonly consumed as food
The edible snail is farmed for its meat.
usual escargot of menus, thought introduced by Romans
Roman snails are a popular choice in French cuisine.
freshwater snail with a coiled shell, often kept in aquariums
The ramshorn snail helps keep the aquarium clean.
large freshwater snail from the family Ampullariidae
The apple snail is often found in aquariums.
cam with spiral cross section for lifting levers
The machine uses a snail cam to lift the lever.
small endangered fish native to Tennessee
The snail darter is protected under the Endangered Species Act..
Origin of snail
Old English, snægl (snail)
Terms with snail included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
marine life
large tropical sea snail that grows a heavy spiral shell
marine
large edible sea snail found in warm waters
animal
marine snail with ear-like tentacles and a small internal shell
food
edible meat from a large sea snail eaten in many cuisines
food
small edible sea snail
marine
type of sea snail shell
mollusk
small edible sea snail
sea animal
marine snail found in New Zealand waters
marine
type of marine snail with a conical shell
animal or shell
sea snail with a flat spiral shell, or its decorative shell
cooking
edible snail prepared as a dish
cuisine
type of snail used in cooking, often Helix pomatia
acr: giant African land snail
very large snail found in Africa
snail mating
sharp structure used by some snails during mating
mollusc
marine snail with a spiny shell, source of Tyrian purple dye
zoology
sea snail in the family Neritidae
zoology
sea snail from the Aporrhaidae family
marine snail
gastropod with long, curved spines on shell
malacology
marine snail or fossil with a spiral, top-shaped shell
mollusk
sea snail with a white, spirally twisted shell from Epitoniidae family
marine creature
marine snail with a strong shell
small water
snail found in small freshwater bodies
aquatic snail
snail that lives in water
garden pest
land snail common in gardens, often a pest
Examples of snail in a sentence
The child watched the snail slowly cross the path. She moves like a snail when getting ready. The project progressed at a snail's pace. The engineer adjusted the snail for better accuracy. A broken snail can disrupt the entire system. Pedestrians had to snail through the crowded street.
The old man would snail to the store every morning. We used to snail by the river every summer. Farmers often snail after the rain.
View all translations of snail
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:escargot, se traîner, ...
- German:Schnecke, kriechen, ...
- Italian:lumaca, muoversi lentamente, ...
- Spanish:caracol, avanzar lentamente, ...
- Portuguese:caracol, arrastar-se, ...
- Chinese:蜗牛, 缓慢移动, ...
- Japanese:カタツムリ, のろのろ進む, ...
- Arabic:حَلَزُون, تثاقلَ, ...
- Hebrew:חִלָּזוֹן, לִזְחוֹל לְאַט, ...
- Russian:улитка, ползти, ...
- Ukrainian:равлик, повзти, ...
- Hindi:घोंघा, धीरे-धीरे चलना, ...

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