Lim"pet (l&ibreve;m"p&ebreve;t), n.
[Prob. through French fr. L. lepas, -adis, Gr.
lepa`s, -a`dos.] (Zoöl.)
1. In a general sense, any hatshaped, or
conical, gastropod shell.
2. Any one of many species of marine
shellfish of the order Docoglossa, mostly found adhering to rocks,
between tides.
&fist; The common European limpets of the genus Patella
(esp. P. vulgata) are extensively used as food. The common New
England species is Acmæa testudinalis. Numerous species
of limpets occur on the Pacific coast of America, some of them of
large size.
3. Any species of Siphonaria, a genus
of limpet-shaped Pulmonifera, living between tides, on
rocks.
4. A keyhole limpet. See
Fissurella.
