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Webster 1913 Edition
Argonauta
‖
Arˊgo-nau′ta
,Noun.
(Zool.)
A genus of Cephalopoda. The shell is called
paper nautilus
or paper sailor
. ☞ The animal has much resemblance to an Octopus. It has eight arms, two of which are expanded at the end and clasp the shell, but are never elevated in the air for sails as was formerly supposed. The creature swims beneath the surface by means of a jet of water, like other cephalopods. The male has no shell, and is much smaller than the female. See
Hectocotylus
. Webster 1828 Edition
Argonauta
ARGONAUT'A
,Noun.
A genus of shell-fish, of the order of vermes testacea. The shell consists of one spiral involuted valve. There are several species; one of which is the Argo, with a subdentated carina, the famous nautilus, which, when it sails, extends two of its arms, spreading a membrane, which serves for a sail, and six other arms are thrown out, for rowing or steering.