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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

limpet en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈlɪm.pɪt/

Etymology

From Middle English lempet, from Old English lempedu (“lamprey”), borrowed from Medieval Latin lampreda, alteration of Late Latin lampetra (“lamprey”), whose further origin is unknown, though is traditionally thought to derive from lambō (“to lick, lap”) + petra (“stone, rock”). Doublet of lamprey, which came through Old French.

Meanings

  1. Any of various gastropods with a conical shell shape (patelliform) and a strong, muscular foot that they use to create strong suction to cling onto rocks or other hard surfaces.
  2. (UK) Someone clingy or dependent; someone disregarding or ignorant of another's personal space.
    • He stuck to me like a limpet all day!

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
limpin alternative, dialectal lexicographic
limpets Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

limpetlike · black limpet · keyhole limpet · keyhole limpet hemocyanin · duck's-bill limpet · limpet mine

Translations (60)

da albueskæl (a small mollusc) · cmn 笠貝 /笠贝 (a small mollusc) · fr patelle (a small mollusc) · ca paparra (someone dependant) · haw ʻopihi (a small mollusc) · fr bernique (a small mollusc) · fi maljakotilo (a small mollusc) · ca pagellida (a small mollusc) · nrf fllie (a small mollusc) · de Anhängsel (someone dependant) · gd bàirneach (a small mollusc) · sv skålsnäcka (a small mollusc) · gl lapa (someone dependant) · de Napfschnecke (a small mollusc) · la mītulus (a small mollusc) · sh priljepak (a small mollusc) · vi con sao sao (a small mollusc) · grc λεπάς (a small mollusc) · hu csészecsiga (a small mollusc) · la lepas (a small mollusc) · el πεταλίδα (a small mollusc) · tr Çin şapkası (a small mollusc) · it patella (a small mollusc) · cmn 帽貝 /帽贝 (a small mollusc) · mi piritoka (a small mollusc) · hu függelék (someone dependant) · ga bairneach (a small mollusc) · cs přílipka (a small mollusc) · pl skałoczep (a small mollusc) · fr lampotte (a small mollusc) · ru блю́дечко (a small mollusc) · gl patela (a small mollusc) · ast llámpara (a small mollusc) · cmn 笠螺 (a small mollusc) · ko 삿갓조개 (a small mollusc) · de Anhang (someone dependant) · es lapa (a small mollusc) · cy cogwrn (a small mollusc) · kw brennik (a small mollusc) · kw brenigen (a small mollusc) · fi iiliäinen (someone dependant) · eu lapa (a small mollusc) · hu tapadókagyló (a small mollusc) · cy llygad maharen (a small mollusc) · sh priljepak (someone dependant) · hu pióca (someone dependant) · mi kākihi (a small mollusc) · pl sierota (someone dependant) · mk прилепец (a small mollusc) · mi ngākihi (a small mollusc) · cy brennig (a small mollusc) · hu kullancs (someone dependant) · cy cragen maharen (a small mollusc) · gl lapa (a small mollusc) · ru морско́е блю́дечко (a small mollusc) · hu bogáncs (someone dependant) · br brennigenn (a small mollusc) · pt lapa (a small mollusc) · nrf baîni (a small mollusc) · nl napslak (a small mollusc)

limpet en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈlɪm.pɪt/

Etymology

From Middle English lempet, from Old English lempedu (“lamprey”), borrowed from Medieval Latin lampreda, alteration of Late Latin lampetra (“lamprey”), whose further origin is unknown, though is traditionally thought to derive from lambō (“to lick, lap”) + petra (“stone, rock”). Doublet of lamprey, which came through Old French.

Meanings

  1. To gather limpets.
    • Razor-fishing, sand-eeling and limpeting used to be popular activities but have declined in importance. 2024 December 22, Wikipedia contributors, “Culture of Jersey”, in English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation:
    • Mother visited the little cottage over the hill, and found Lisette's story to be quite correct; and many times the Frenchwoman blessed the day when Margie went limpeting and Lisette lent the old knife to the golden-haired little English lady. 1890 JUNE, THE GUERNSEY MAGAZINE A MONTHLY ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL of INFORMATION, INSTRUCTION & ENTERTAINMENT, volume XVIII, number 6, page 1:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
limpets Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
limpin alternative, dialectal lexicographic
limpeting Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
limpeted Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
limpeted Tense=Past lexicographic