pholas

P3H4O1L1A1S1

noun

Any of several borrowing marine bivalve molluscs of the genus Pholas.

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Meanings

nounpholas (plural pholades)

plural pholades

  1. Any of several borrowing marine bivalve molluscs of the genus Pholas.

    [M]any of the pillars of the temple of Serapis at Puteoli vvere penetrated by theſe animals. […] [T]he pholas muſt have pierced into them ſince they vvere erected; for no vvorkmen vvould have laboured a pillar into form, if it had been honey-combed by vvorms in the quarry.

    1791, Oliver Goldsmith, “Of Multival[v]e Shell-fish”, in An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature. […], new edition, volume VII, London: […] F[rancis] Wingrave, successor to Mr. [John] Nourse, […], →OCLC, page 62

Origin

From the genus name.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Italian folade
  • folademollusc of the genus Pholas

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Shpolaalphos
Cite this entry
APA

pholas. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pholas

MLA

“pholas.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pholas. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pholas,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pholas.

Source: pholas on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.