any dibranchiate cephalopod of the genus Argonauta, the female of which has a delicate, white shell.
Origin
1825-35
Examples from the web for paper nautilus
The females secrete a thin, white, brittle shell called the paper nautilus.
British Dictionary definitions for paper nautilus
paper nautilus
noun
1.
any cephalopod mollusc of the genus Argonauta, esp A. argo, of warm and tropical seas, having a papery external spiral shell: order Octopoda (octopods) Also called argonaut Compare pearly nautilus