- Patella vulgata
- Limpet Lim"pet (l[i^]m"p[e^]t), n. [Prob. through French fr.
L. lepas, -adis, Gr. lepa`s, -a`dos.] (Zo["o]l.)
1. In a general sense, any hatshaped, or conical, gastropod
shell.
[1913 Webster]
2. Any one of many species of marine shellfish of the order {Docoglossa}, mostly found adhering to rocks, between tides. [1913 Webster]
Note: The common European limpets of the genus {Patella} (esp. {Patella vulgata}) are extensively used as food. The common New England species is {Acm[ae]a testudinalis}. Numerous species of limpets occur on the Pacific coast of America, some of them of large size. [1913 Webster]
3. Hence: Somthing or someone that clings tenaciously to another object or person; specifically a military explosive device having magnets allowing it to cling to a metallic target object, such as the hull of a ship. [PJC]
3. Any species of {Siphonaria}, a genus of limpet-shaped Pulmonifera, living between tides, on rocks. [1913 Webster]
4. A keyhole limpet. See {Fissurella}. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.