This creature term refers to a snail, named in Hebrew for the slimy, moist trail it leaves behind. The Psalms use it as an image of something that dissolves or melts away, perhaps alluding to the ancient observation that a snail's trail appears to represent the creature dissolving as it moves. The etymology connects to roots meaning moisture or fluid. Modern versions consistently render this as 'snail' across all major languages, though the ancient understanding may have included the folk belief that snails literally melted into their trails.