Snail
/sneɪl/noun
A slow-moving gastropod mollusk, usually with a spiral shell.
Did you know?Snail is related to Old English and other Germanic words for creeping or crawling, showing how everyday animal names often preserve brutally literal ancient descriptions rather than poetic ones.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sneg-
“to crawl, creep, or move sinuously”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*snailaz
“snail; creeping shell-bearing creature”
Old English
English
snægl
“snail”
Middle English
English
snail
“snail”
Modern English
English
snail
“a slow-moving gastropod mollusk, usually with a shell”