limpet C1 Topic:General Vocabulary US /ˈlɪmpɪt/ UK /ˈlɪmpɪt/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun a marine mollusk with a conical shell that clings tightly to rocks The limpet was firmly attached to the rocky shore. 2 noun a person or thing that clings tenaciously He was like a limpet, never leaving her side. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a marine mollusk with a... gastropodsea snailmolluskconch 2 noun · a person or thing that... hanger-onleechbarnacleparasiteclinger Etymology AI details From Old English limpet, related to Medieval Latin lempedu ("limpet"), via Middle English lempet into Modern English limpet, a marine mollusk with a conical shell. Topics General Vocabulary External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # limpet **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈlɪmpɪt/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈlɪmpɪt/ ## Meanings 1. a marine mollusk with a conical shell that clings tightly to rocks 2. a person or thing that clings tenaciously ## Examples - The limpet was firmly attached to the rocky shore. - He was like a limpet, never leaving her side. ## Synonyms - gastropod - sea snail - mollusk - conch - hanger-on - leech - barnacle - parasite - clinger ## Etymology From Old English limpet, related to Medieval Latin lempedu ("limpet"), via Middle English lempet into Modern English limpet, a marine mollusk with a conical shell. ## AI Etymology Limpet comes from Old English limpet, related to Medieval Latin lempedu ("limpet"), via Middle English lempet into Modern English limpet, a marine mollusk with a conical shell. In current use it is a noun meaning "a marine mollusk with a conical shell that clings tightly to rocks". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The history is mainly one of transmission into English, with the older form and sense carried through borrowing or adaptation. For dictionary purposes, the important point is the continuity between the older form, the route into English, and the present lexical sense. ## Topics - General Vocabulary markdown