cephalopod
noun
ceph·a·lo·pod ˈse-fə-lə-ˌpäd 
: any of a class (Cephalopoda) of marine mollusks including the squids, cuttlefishes, and octopuses that move by expelling water from a tubular siphon under the head and that have a group of muscular usually sucker-bearing arms around the front of the head, highly developed eyes, and usually a sac containing ink which is ejected for defense or concealment
cephalopod adjective
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The cephalopod that Ursula embodies may be debatable, but her legacy is undeniable. 
Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2022 Octopus bimaculoides, or the California two-spot octopus, is a common lab cephalopod that scientists can get from the wild. New York Times, 4 Apr. 2022 While gene editing with the lesser Pacific striped octopus remains elusive, the species could help tackle another cephalopod mystery. New York Times, 4 Apr. 2022 Yet even then the hush under water, where these creatures lived, was probably punctuated only by the skittering of arthropod feet across sand or the faint grinding of a cephalopod breaking a shell. Michael B. Habib, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2022 To evaluate a cephalopod's beak, taxonomists will use chemicals to dissolve the tissues around the mouth, reports Hakai. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Apr. 2021 The cephalopod in question is called a ram’s horn squid (Spirula spirula), the only living member of a unique family of squid. Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Nov. 2020 The 13-foot-high cephalopod which has popped up in Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture, has eight pink arms and zero protection against airborne viruses. Maureen O'hare, CNN, 8 May 2021 Human viewers empathize with this cephalopod, whose intelligence and curiosity are apparent in the documentary. Anna Blaustein, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2021 See More
Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2022 Octopus bimaculoides, or the California two-spot octopus, is a common lab cephalopod that scientists can get from the wild. New York Times, 4 Apr. 2022 While gene editing with the lesser Pacific striped octopus remains elusive, the species could help tackle another cephalopod mystery. New York Times, 4 Apr. 2022 Yet even then the hush under water, where these creatures lived, was probably punctuated only by the skittering of arthropod feet across sand or the faint grinding of a cephalopod breaking a shell. Michael B. Habib, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2022 To evaluate a cephalopod's beak, taxonomists will use chemicals to dissolve the tissues around the mouth, reports Hakai. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Apr. 2021 The cephalopod in question is called a ram’s horn squid (Spirula spirula), the only living member of a unique family of squid. Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Nov. 2020 The 13-foot-high cephalopod which has popped up in Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture, has eight pink arms and zero protection against airborne viruses. Maureen O'hare, CNN, 8 May 2021 Human viewers empathize with this cephalopod, whose intelligence and curiosity are apparent in the documentary. Anna Blaustein, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
ultimately from cephal- + Greek pod-, pous foot — more at foot
First Known Use
1826, in the meaning defined above