pelecypod

[ puh-les-uh-pod ]

noun
  1. any mollusk of the class Pelecypoda (Lamellibranchiata), characterized by a bivalve shell enclosing the headless body and lamellate gills, comprising the oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops.

adjective
  1. Also pel·e·cyp·o·dous [pel-uh-sip-uh-duhs]. /ˌpɛl əˈsɪp ə dəs/. belonging or pertaining to the Pelecypoda.

Origin of pelecypod

1
1855–60; <New Latin Pelecypoda<Greek péleky(s) hatchet + New Latin -poda;see -pod

Words Nearby pelecypod

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pelecypod in a sentence

  • Excepting in a few families, the pelecypod foot is well developed.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide | Augusta Foote Arnold
  • In many respects this is the most distinguished pelecypod family.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide | Augusta Foote Arnold
  • When a pelecypod dies and the pull of the adductor muscles is released, the valves gape open.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide | Augusta Foote Arnold
  • The greatest possible degree of variation exists in the structure of the pelecypod shell.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide | Augusta Foote Arnold
  • The accompanying cut shows Mytilus edulis, a common east-coast pelecypod, attached by its byssus to a piece of wood.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide | Augusta Foote Arnold

British Dictionary definitions for pelecypod

pelecypod

/ (pɪˈlɛsɪˌpɒd) /


noun, adjective

Origin of pelecypod

1
C19: from Greek pelekus hatchet + -pod

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012