bivalve

American  

[bahy-valv] / ˈbaɪˌvælv /

noun

1. Also called lamellibranch.  Zoology. any mollusk, as the oyster, clam, scallop, or mussel, of the class Bivalvia, having two shells hinged together, a soft body, and lamellate gills.

---

adjective

1. Botany. having two valves, as a seedcase.

2. Zoology. having two shells, usually united by a hinge.

3. having two similar parts hinged together.

bivalve British  

/ ˈbaɪˌvælv /

noun

1. Also: pelecypod.   lamellibranch.  any marine or freshwater mollusc of the class Pelecypoda (formerly Bivalvia or Lamellibranchia ), having a laterally compressed body, a shell consisting of two hinged valves, and gills for respiration. The group includes clams, cockles, oysters, and mussels

---

adjective

1. Also: pelecypod.   lamellibranch.  of, relating to, or belonging to the Pelecypoda

2. Also: bivalvate.  biology having or consisting of two valves or similar parts

   a bivalve seed capsule

bivalve Scientific  

/ bī′vălv′ /

1. Any of various mollusks of the class Bivalvia, having a shell consisting of two halves hinged together. Clams, oysters, scallops, and mussels are bivalves. The class Bivalvia is also called Pelecypoda, and was formerly called Lamellibranchia.

2. Compare univalve

---

Other Word Forms

• bivalvular
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of bivalve

First recorded in 1670–80; bi- ¹ + valve

Explanation

A bivalve is a sea creature with two shells, one on top and one underneath, connected by a kind of hinge. Mussels and clams are bivalves; snails and abalone are not. Bivalves are soft on the inside with a very hard, protective shell on the outside. You know you're looking at a bivalve when you see two distinct halves of that shell, which can swing shut like a door when the animal perceives danger. Oysters fall into this category, and so do scallops. Bivalve, literally "two valves," comes from the Latin valva, "section of a folding door."

Example Sentences

Bivalve farming also doesn’t compromise its habitat: In fact, the presence of shellfish like scallops, mussels and oysters actively improves it by filtering the water and increasing biodiversity.

From New York Times • Aug. 23, 2021

Soon, people will have difficulty trying to understand why a town in Maryland was named Bivalve.

From Washington Post • Jan. 6, 2017

But May Day brings no rest to those in Bivalve who go down to the flats in sloops.

From Time Magazine Archive

Last week the stalwart folk of Bivalve, N. J., were fully aware that the change of season was upon them.

From Time Magazine Archive

The genus of Bivalve Molluscs comprising the Scallops.

From The Ancient Life History of the Earth A Comprehensive Outline of the Principles and Leading Facts of Palæontological Science by Nicholson, Henry Alleyne