from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Snail \Snail\ (sn[=a]l), n. [OE. snaile, AS. sn[ae]gel, snegel,
sn[ae]gl; akin to G. schnecke, OHG. snecko, Dan. snegl, Icel.
snigill.]
1. (Zool.)
(a) Any one of numerous species of terrestrial
air-breathing gastropods belonging to the genus Helix
and many allied genera of the family {Helicidae}. They
are abundant in nearly all parts of the world except
the arctic regions, and feed almost entirely on
vegetation; a land snail.
(b) Any gastropod having a general resemblance to the true
snails, including fresh-water and marine species. See
{Pond snail}, under {Pond}, and {Sea snail}.
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2. Hence, a drone; a slow-moving person or thing.
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3. (Mech.) A spiral cam, or a flat piece of metal of spirally
curved outline, used for giving motion to, or changing the
position of, another part, as the hammer tail of a
striking clock.
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4. A tortoise; in ancient warfare, a movable roof or shed to
protect besiegers; a testudo. [Obs.]
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They had also all manner of gynes [engines] . . .
that needful is [in] taking or sieging of castle or
of city, as snails, that was naught else but hollow
pavises and targets, under the which men, when they
fought, were heled [protected], . . . as the snail
is in his house; therefore they cleped them snails.
--Vegetius
(Trans.).
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5. (Bot.) The pod of the sanil clover.
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{Ear snail}, {Edible snail}, {Pond snail}, etc. See under
{Ear}, {Edible}, etc.
{Snail borer} (Zool.), a boring univalve mollusk; a drill.
{Snail clover} (Bot.), a cloverlike plant ({Medicago
scuttellata}, also, {Medicago Helix}); -- so named from
its pods, which resemble the shells of snails; -- called
also {snail trefoil}, {snail medic}, and {beehive}.
{Snail flower} (Bot.), a leguminous plant ({Phaseolus
Caracalla}) having the keel of the carolla spirally coiled
like a snail shell.
{Snail shell} (Zool.), the shell of snail.
{Snail trefoil}. (Bot.) See {Snail clover}, above.
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