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/əˈbeɪloʊn/
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/əˈbeɪloʊn/
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/əˈbæloʊn/
🇬🇧
/əˈbæloʊn/
Plural
abalones
Abalone is a colorful, edible sea snail with a spiral shell lined with iridescent mother-of-pearl — prized by chefs for its tender, slightly sweet meat and by jewelers for its shimmering shell. It lives attached to rocky ocean floors along coastlines like California, New Zealand, and Japan.
We grilled fresh abalone with garlic butter at the seaside restaurant.
Abalone shells are often used to make decorative inlays and ceremonial objects.
Strict regulations protect wild abalone populations from overfishing and poaching.
The Maori people of New Zealand call the native abalone 'paua' and use its shell in traditional art.
Divers must obtain a special permit before harvesting abalone in California waters.
abalone
Comes from the Spanish word 'abulón', which itself derives from the Rumsen (Ohlone) Native American language of Central California, where it was 'aulun' or 'awlon', referring to the marine mollusk. The term entered English via Spanish in the 18th century and has no productive Latin or Greek roots; it is a lexical borrowing representing the organism itself. Examples include abalone, abalonist (rare, one who collects or studies abalone), abalone shell.