alikreukel
A South African term for the giant periwinkle (Turbo sarmaticus), a large edible sea snail found along the South African coastline.
Definitions
A South African term for the giant periwinkle (Turbo sarmaticus), a large edible sea snail found along the South African coastline. The alikreukel is a delicacy and a culturally significant seafood along the Western and Eastern Cape, often prepared simply by boiling or braaiing. It's legally protected in some areas due to overharvesting. The word is firmly South African English via Afrikaans and is unlikely to be understood outside that context.
They spent the afternoon gathering alikreukel from the rocks and grilling them on the fire.
Comments
(South Africa) giant periwinkle.
"alikreukel" means giant periwinkle. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"alikreukel" is informal English meaning giant periwinkle. It is part of South African English. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "giant periwinkle" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "alikreukel" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
“Dit is nie [geskakel](https://af.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spesiaal:Whatlinkshere&target=Afrikaanse+alikreukel&namespace=0) of in ander bladsye ingesluit nie.”
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A South African term for abalone — those large, ear-shaped sea snails whose iridescent shells are prized as much as their meat. The word comes from Afrikaans and is used colloquially along South Africa's coastline, especially in the Western Cape where abalone harvesting (both legal and, notoriously, illegal poaching) is a major issue. If someone on the Cape coast says they're going to braai some klipkous, they're talking serious coastal cuisine.
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(South Africa) giant periwinkle.
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