bivalve

[bahy-valv]

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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.

Origin of bivalve

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

Related formsbi·val·vu·lar

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for bivalve

ripple, mollusk, wrinkle, pucker

Examples from the Web for bivalve

Historical Examples of bivalve

The instance referred to is that presented by bivalve shell-fish.
On the Genesis of Species
St. George Mivart
The mother-of-pearl which lines some shells, both univalve and bivalve.
The Sailor's Word-Book
William Henry Smyth
Flattened sideways and as hard as stone, no bivalve can resist it.
Poachers and Poaching
John Watson
Many persons prefer it to the bivalve, when it is cooked properly.
ABC of Vegetable Gardening
Eben Eugene Rexford
Bivalve shells are said to gape when the margins do not meet all round.
A Conchological Manual
George Brettingham Sowerby

British Dictionary definitions for bivalve

bivalve

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 Formsbivalvular, 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

Word Origin and History for bivalve

adj.

1660s in reference to mollusks with double shells; 1670s in reference to shutters or doors; from bi- + valve. The noun is 1680s in the mollusk sense.

bivalve in Science

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.