---
title: mollusc — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «mollusc» in the school dictionary: A mollusc is an animal with a soft body and no backbone, which often has a hard shell; snails, slugs, clams, mussels, oysters, octopuses and squid are molluscs. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# mollusc

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** mollusc, snails, snail, Slugs, molluscs, Octopuses · **What happens:** be, have, find, live · **To what, where:** animal, soft body, molluscs, mollusc, shell, clever molluscs

<!-- .vabout -->
«mollusc» in the school dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 6 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [mollusc in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/mollusc.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A mollusc is an animal with a soft body and no backbone, which often has a hard shell; snails, slugs, clams, mussels, oysters, octopuses and squid are molluscs.

<!-- fold The tree, 28 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:mollusc:m1:1
# text = A mollusc is an animal with a soft body and no backbone, which often has a hard shell; snails, slugs, clams, mussels, oysters, octopuses and squid are molluscs.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	mollusc	mollusc	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	soft	soft	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	body	body	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
11	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	12	det	_	_
12	backbone	backbone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
14	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	16	obj	_	_
15	often	often	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
16	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	conj	_	_
17	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
18	hard	hard	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	19	amod	_	_
19	shell	shell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	21	punct	_	_
21	snails	snail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	35	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	23	punct	_	_
23	slugs	slug	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	21	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	25	punct	_	_
25	clams	clam	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	21	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	27	punct	_	_
27	mussels	mussel	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	21	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
28	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	29	punct	_	_
29	oysters	oyster	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	21	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
30	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	31	punct	_	_
31	octopuses	octopus	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	21	conj	_	_
32	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	33	cc	_	_
33	squid	squid	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	conj	_	_
34	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	35	cop	_	_
35	molluscs	mollusc	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
36	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a mollusc | a animal |  |  |  | with a soft body and no backbone | tree rules |
| 2 | **have** | present | a mollusc *not said here* | a soft body and no backbone |  |  |  | often *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **is a** | present | snails and slugs and clams and mussels and oysters and octopuses and squid | molluscs |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A snail is a mollusc with a coiled shell.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:mollusc:x1:1
# text = A snail is a mollusc with a coiled shell.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	snail	snail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	mollusc	mollusc	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	coiled	coiled	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	shell	shell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a snail | a mollusc |  |  |  | with a coiled shell | tree rules |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Slugs are molluscs that have no shell.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:mollusc:x2:1
# text = Slugs are molluscs that have no shell.
1	Slugs	slug	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	molluscs	mollusc	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	5	nsubj	_	_
5	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl:relcl	_	_
6	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	7	det	_	_
7	shell	shell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Slugs | molluscs |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **have** | present | molluscs | no shell |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent shell=Patient |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Octopuses are very clever molluscs.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:mollusc:x3:1
# text = Octopuses are very clever molluscs.
1	Octopuses	octopus	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	very	very	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	clever	clever	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	molluscs	mollusc	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Octopuses | clever molluscs |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We found mollusc shells on the beach.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:mollusc:x4:1
# text = We found mollusc shells on the beach.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	found	find	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	mollusc	mollusc	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	shells	shell	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	beach	beach	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **find** | past | We | mollusc shells |  | the beach |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent shell=Topic |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Mussels and oysters are molluscs that live in the sea.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:mollusc:x5:1
# text = Mussels and oysters are molluscs that live in the sea.
1	Mussels	mussel	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
2	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	3	cc	_	_
3	oysters	oyster	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	conj	_	_
4	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	molluscs	mollusc	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
6	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	7	nsubj	_	_
7	live	live	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	acl:relcl	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Mussels and oysters | molluscs |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **live** | present | molluscs |  |  | the sea |  |  | vn lodge-46 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in sea=Location |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A mollusc has no backbone.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:mollusc:x6:1
# text = A mollusc has no backbone.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	mollusc	mollusc	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	5	det	_	_
5	backbone	backbone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | a mollusc | no backbone |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent backbone=Patient |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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