Spanish word

caracola

Pronunciation

IPA/kaɾaˈkola/

Meaning

  • feminine nounseashell

Example

Encontré una caracola en la playa.

I found a seashell on the beach.

Illustration for caracola (seashell)

More examples

Le puse la caracola en la oreja para escuchar el mar.

I placed the seashell on their ear to hear the sea.

Core concept

Helical sea snail shell often used like a trumpet.

Common phrases

  • encontrar una caracola

    find a seashell

  • poner la caracola en la oreja

    place the seashell on the ear

  • una caracola en la playa

    a seashell on the beach

Similar words

concha: Hard outer shell of mollusks from sea or river, often found on shores.
caracol: Snail-style shell that winds in a spiral, usually a single, coiled piece.
almeja: Bivalve clam with two smooth shells, commonly eaten as seafood.
ostra: Bivalve with a rough, often irregular shell, usually consumed raw or cooked.

Definition in Spanish

Concha de molusco con forma helicoidal; a veces se emplea como trompeta natural cuando se sopla por el extremo.

Word origin

The word is formed from caracol 'snail' plus the feminine suffix -a and names spiral or conch-like shells, including examples blown as horns.

Usage tips

  • When talking about using a shell as an instrument, speakers commonly say 'soplar la caracola' to mean 'blow it' or 'tocar la caracola' to mean 'play it'.

Other meanings

  • spiral shellnoun
  • conchnoun

Word lists with this word