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.

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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

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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

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Other Word Forms

• bivalvular adjective

Etymology

Origin of bivalve

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

Example Sentences

In full transparency, I am so in love with this species of marine bivalve mollusks — but it didn't start out that way.

From Salon • Jan. 31, 2024

Left almost entirely unsupervised by her distracted, glamorous parents, Meg makes the city her oyster, with all the grit and pungency that little bivalve implies.

From New York Times • Nov. 25, 2023

Scientifically named Teredinids, these creatures have no shell, but are classed as bivalve shellfish and related to oysters and mussels.

From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2023

The shells belonged to an assortment of tiny seafloor creatures, including small clams; bivalve crustaceans called ostracods; cone-shaped animals known as hyoliths; and stylophorans, oddly shaped precursors to starfish.

From Scientific American • Sep. 28, 2023

Cockle, kok′l, n. a large and typical genus of bivalve molluscs, having a thick, ribbed, heart-shaped, equal-valved shell.—adj.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various