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Glite Dictionary
tooth shell

tooth shell

9.9
A sea animal that has a long thin shell open at both ends and a foot for digging in sand
  • noun
  • /tuːθ ʃɛl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : concha dental
  • The distinctive shape of the tooth shell makes it easy to recognize among other seashells.

Examples

  • The sandy beach was littered with tooth shells washed up by the tide.

  • The tooth shell is often found on sandy beaches.

  • Scientists collected several tooth shells for laboratory study.

  • Have you ever seen a tooth shell before?

  • The sandy beach was littered with tooth shells washed up by the tide.

  • Scientists collected several tooth shells for laboratory study.

  • The distinctive shape of the tooth shell makes it easy to recognize among other seashells.

Synonyms

Scaphopoda
vstooth shell
  • Specialized
9.9

Sea animals with long shells like small tusks that live in sand

is the common name for these animals rather than the scientific term
tusk shell
vstooth shell
  • Specialized
9.9

A small sea animal with a long tube-shaped shell open at both ends

is used for the whole animal and highlights the burrowing foot
dentalium
vstooth shell
  • Specialized
9.9

A small sea animal with a long, curved tube-shaped shell

is the broader term for all such mollusks rather than one kind

Surface Forms

tooth shell singular
tooth shells plural

Morphology

tooth + shell

The noun-noun compound 'tooth shell' is compositional: a shell characterized by a tooth-like shape or feature, i.e. a type of shell/mollusk. This follows a common English compounding pattern and a B1 learner who knows 'tooth' and 'shell' can infer the general meaning even if they cannot supply the technical biological details.

Etymology

Tooth shell gets its name from the shell's shape: it is long and narrow like a single tooth, so people called that long piece a shell. That's why today tooth shell means a sea animal with a long, tooth-like shell that burrows in the sand.