Nearby Words

conch

[kongk, konch] Example Sentences Origin

conch

[kongk, konch]
noun, plural conchs [kongks] , con·ches [kon-chiz] .
1.
the spiral shell of a gastropod, often used as a horn.
2.
any of various marine gastropods.
3.
the fabled shell trumpet of the Tritons.
4.
(often initial capital letter) Slang: Sometimes Disparaging.
a.
a native or inhabitant of the Florida Keys.
b.
a Bahamian.
5.
Also, concha. Architecture. a smooth concave surface consisting of or resembling the interior of a semidome, as the surface of a vault, a trompe, or the head of a niche.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin concha < Greek kónchē mussel, shell

conch·ate [kong-keyt, kon-cheyt] , conched, adjective

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Conch is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Example Sentences
  • Like plywood, a conch shell is stronger than its parts.
  • Monks in orange robes offer flowers and food to the gods and produce haunting sounds on conch shells.
  • Close by are a diamond-encrusted conch shell and discus, his traditional accessories.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged

conch-

variant of concho- before a vowel.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
conch (kɒŋk, kɒntʃ)
 
n , pl conchs, conches
1.  any of various tropical marine gastropod molluscs of the genus Strombus and related genera, esp S. gigas (giant conch), characterized by a large brightly coloured spiral shell
2.  the shell of such a mollusc, used as a trumpet
3.  architect another name for concha
 
[C16: from Latin concha, from Greek konkhē shellfish]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

conch
1410, from L. concha "shellfish, mollusk," from Gk. konkhe "mussel, shell," from PIE base *konkho-. The name for natives of Florida Keys since at least 1833.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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