limpet

English

Alternative forms

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 (“I lick, lap”) + petra (“stone, rock”). Doublet of lamprey, which came through Old French.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈlɪm.pɪt/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
    * Rhymes: -ɪmpɪt

Noun

limpet (plural limpets)

  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. (British) Someone clingy or dependent; someone disregarding or ignorant of another's personal space.
    He stuck to me like a limpet all day!

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

limpet (third-person singular simple present limpets, present participle limpeting, simple past and past participle limpeted)

  1. To gather limpets.
    • 1890 JUNE, THE GUERNSEY MAGAZINE A MONTHLY ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL of INFORMATION, INSTRUCTION & ENTERTAINMENT, volume XVIII, number 6, page 1:
      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.
    • 2024 December 22, Wikipedia contributors, “Culture of Jersey”, in English Wikipedia‎[1], Wikimedia Foundation:
      Razor-fishing, sand-eeling and limpeting used to be popular activities but have declined in importance.

References

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