Spirulas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of marine cephalopod that has a coiled, chambered shell resembling a corkscrew
2. the shell structure known for its unique and often beautiful spiral shape
3. these organisms are commonly found in various oceanic environments and play a role in their ecosystems

Etymology: Spirula is the scientific name of a small deep-sea cephalopod, a relative of squids, whose internal shell is a tightly coiled chamber. The name comes from Latin "spira", meaning "a coil", with a diminutive ending added to make "spirula", "a little coil". The creature is named for its shell, not for its body. The plural "spirulas" is simply the regular English plural of this name, used when more than one animal is meant.

Synonyms: spiral shells, marine mollusks, coiled shells, shelled organisms, turbinate shells