snail
UK: sneɪl | US: sneɪl
n. a small, slow-moving mollusk with a spiral shell
n. (figuratively) a person who acts sluggishly
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The word "snail" originates from Old English snægl, derived from Proto-Germanic snagila. Its root structure is obscure, but the sn- may evoke slowness or crawling (compare "snake," though unrelated). The -ail suffix is a common ending in Old English for small creatures. Over time, the word retained its core meaning of a slow-moving shelled mollusk, later extending metaphorically to describe sluggish humans.
The garden was dotted with snails after the rain.
She moved through the paperwork at a snail’s pace.
Children love observing snails in their natural habitat.
Traffic was crawling like a snail during rush hour.
He collected empty snail shells for his science project.