1. A mollusk with a muscular foot on its ventral surface, typically having a single shell or no shell, such as a snail or slug.
Usage: zoology; biology

Examples

• The snail is a common gastropod found in gardens and forests.
• Slugs are gastropods that lack an external shell.
• Marine gastropods include sea snails and nudibranchs.
• The gastropod uses its muscular foot to move slowly across surfaces.
• Scientists study gastropods to understand mollusk evolution.
• Many gastropods are herbivores that feed on plants and algae.