bivalve

[ bahy-valv ]

/ ˈbaɪˌvælv /

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noun

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

Botany. having two valves, as a seedcase.

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

having two similar parts hinged together.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of bivalve

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

OTHER WORDS FROM bivalve

bi·val·vu·lar

[bahy-val-vyuh-ler], /baɪˈvæl vyə lər/, adjective

Words nearby bivalve

biunique, biuniqueness, biuret, bivalence, bivalent, bivalve, bivane, bivariate, bivinyl, bivoltine, bivouac

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bivalve in a sentence

In New York City, they’re repopulating the harbor with farmed oysters to build reefs with the bivalves that stop the kind of erosion that made Hurricane Sandy so destructive while filtering toxins out of the water.
The Best Way to Prepare Our Coasts for Climate Change? Nature Itself.|lwhelan|September 30, 2021|Outside Online
For local oysters, stop at Little Creek Oyster Farm and Market, where they serve buckets of the bivalves on picnic tables in front of the Peconic River.
The 25 Best Fall Trips in the World|jversteegh|August 9, 2021|Outside Online
Remember to head to our Recipe Finder for even more recipes featuring bivalves.
6 simple recipes to showcase clams, mussels and oysters|Kari Sonde|January 11, 2021|Washington Post
Solar Oysters’ goal is for the rig to allow farmers to raise bivalves at a cost of 24 cents per oyster, he added, because oysters are often sold for 50 cents each.
Solar-powered barge could take oyster farming deeper into Chesapeake|Christine Condon|January 11, 2021|Washington Post

Because scallops are bivalves and they filter near-shore saltwater, they are subject to collecting impurities in some regional waters.
14 wild edibles you can pull right out of the ocean|By Bob McNally/Field & Stream|October 19, 2020|Popular-Science
Her instructions for “the perfect scallops” include “Season both sides and let those little marine bivalve mollusks chillax.”
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Chrissy Teigen Weds John Legend|Anna Klassen|September 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Amongst other appearances, however, we observed a bivalve, which seemed to differ from terebratula and its congeners.
Early Western Travels 1748-1846, Volume XVI|Various
If the ligament of a gaping bivalve should become dry and stiff, it can be softened by putting it in water.
Our British Snails|John William Horsley
A pink bivalve shell was eventually discovered, which he considered worthy of containing the honoured corpse.
The Angel of Pain|E. F. Benson
A straw hat, curled up into a grotesque shape, lay at his feet like some distorted bivalve.
Isle o' Dreams|Frederick F. Moore
Arca, a genus of bivalve molluscs, family Arcad, whose shells are known as ark-shells.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for bivalve

bivalve

/ (ˈbaɪˌvælv) /

noun

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

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

Also: bivalvate (baɪˈvælveɪt) biology having or consisting of two valves or similar partsa bivalve seed capsule

Derived forms of bivalve

bivalvular, adjective

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

Scientific definitions for bivalve

bivalve

[ bī′vălv′ ]

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. Compare univalve.

bivalve

Origin of bivalve

OTHER WORDS FROM bivalve

Words nearby bivalve

Words related to bivalve

How to use bivalve in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bivalve

Derived forms of bivalve

Scientific definitions for bivalve