Argonauta

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Argonauta \Ar`go*nau"ta\, n. (Zool.)
     A genus of Cephalopoda. The shell is called {paper nautilus}
     or {paper sailor}.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: 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}.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Argonauta
       n : type genus of the family Argonautidae: paper nautilus [syn:
           {genus Argonauta}]