whelk

noun

ˈ(h)welk How to pronounce whelk (audio)
Definition of whelknext
as in blister
a small, inflamed swelling of the skin unsightly whelks covered the beggar's face

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of whelk Serious shellers know to get to the beach early for prime specimens like sand dollars, whelks, and scallops. — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025 Accessible by ferry from Port Aransas, which sits just across the shipping channel, this 21-mile-long island offers nothing more than pristine Gulf Coast wilderness, and keen-eyed travelers often stumble upon sand dollars, lightning whelks, angel wings, and conchs. — Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 6 Jan. 2025 Gastropods are a class of mollusks that include snails, slugs and whelks. — Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whelk
  1. blister
  2. boil
  3. pustule
  4. pimple
  5. pock
  6. papule
Noun
  • Bencic took another medical timeout before the deciding set to have a hand blister tended to.
    — Staff and news service reports, Orange County Register, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Appearance: This painful skin issue usually starts as small blisters or raised bumps on the skin that develop into deep ulcers (sores).7 In adults, it's commonly located on the lower half of the body, such as the legs.
    — Cristina Mutchler, Health, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of blister
Noun
  • The key to drawing out the umami and sweetness from the kombu without the bitterness, Stuart-Wolff explained, is to remove the seaweed just before the water reaches a boil.
    — Rebekah Peppler, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Some Skokie businesses were also unable to run their normal operations due to the boil order, forcing them to close Friday.
    — Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025
Definition of boil
Noun
  • Victims develop high fevers, deep rashes and oozing pustules.
    — William J. Broad, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
  • Plants with orange rust, identified by orange pustules on the leaves, must be burned or disposed of in the trash.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2025
Definition of pustule
Noun
  • Plus, here are the 15 best pimple patches to heal breakouts, some of which have also been tested by Select staffers.
    — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Bentonite clay, hyaluronic acid Size: 2.7 oz Pros: Helps soften skin bumps Cons: Might be drying to some This mud mask has a blend of bentonite clay and hyaluronic acid to suck up blackheads, pimples and pollution all while leaving the skin hydrated and non-stripped.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of pimple
Noun
  • They were riddled with lesions, pock marks and holes.
    — Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2024
  • Barks, not the pock of tennis balls, were heard across the sunny, 40-acre (16-hectare) grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
    — JENNIFER PELTZ, ajc, 6 May 2023
Definition of pock
Noun
  • Some research shows that people with acne generally have lower levels of zinc in their blood and that taking supplemental zinc may reduce inflammatory papules.
    — Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 1 Oct. 2024
  • These often red, inflamed bumps are also called papules.
    — Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 1 Oct. 2024
Definition of papule

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“Whelk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whelk. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on whelk

Nglish: Translation of whelk for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about whelk

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