snail

n. a small, soft animal with a round shell that moves very slowly.

n. a gastropod mollusc with a coiled shell into which it can retract its body.

“After the rain, dozens of snails appeared on the garden path.”

“The biologist noted that the snail leaves a trail of mucus to reduce friction as it traverses rough surfaces.”

n. someone who moves or works very slowly.

n. a person who moves, acts, or works with excessive slowness.

“Hurry up, you snail, or we will miss the start of the movie.”

“The manager grew frustrated with the new recruit, calling him a snail because he took twice as long as others to complete the filing.”

Informal

n. a flat, spiral-shaped piece of metal used in machines like clocks.

n. a spiral cam or flat metal piece with a curved outline used to provide specific motion to other mechanical parts.

“The clockmaker carefully adjusted the snail to ensure the chime sounded at the right time.”

“In horology, the snail is a critical component of the striking mechanism, determining the number of times the hammer hits the bell.”

Technical

v. to move at a very slow pace.

v. to progress or travel at an exceptionally slow speed.

“Traffic was snailing along the highway due to the heavy snow.”

“The morning commute was frustrating as the bus snailed through the city centre during the peak of the transit strike.”

Informal