brachiopod

[ brey-kee-uh-pod, brak-ee- ]

noun
  1. any mollusklike, marine animal of the phylum Brachiopoda, having a dorsal and ventral shell; a lamp shell.

adjective
  1. Also bra·chi·op·o·dous [brey-kee-op-uh-duhs, brak-ee]. /ˌbreɪ kiˈɒp ə dəs, ˌbræk i/. belonging or pertaining to the Brachiopoda.

Origin of brachiopod

1
From the New Latin word Brachiopoda, dating back to 1830–40. See brachio-, -pod

Words Nearby brachiopod

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

How to use brachiopod in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for brachiopod

brachiopod

/ (ˈbreɪkɪəˌpɒd, ˈbræk-) /


noun
  1. any marine invertebrate animal of the phylum Brachiopoda, having a ciliated feeding organ (lophophore) and a shell consisting of dorsal and ventral valves: Also called: lamp shell See also bryozoan

Origin of brachiopod

1
C19: from New Latin Brachiopoda; see brachium, -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

Scientific definitions for brachiopod

brachiopod

[ brākē-ə-pŏd′ ]


  1. Any of various marine invertebrate animals of the phylum Brachiopoda that resemble clams. Brachiopods have paired upper and lower shells attached to a usually stationary stalk and hollow tentacles covered with cilia that sweep food particles into the mouth. Brachiopods are probably related to the phoronids and bryozoans, and were extremely abundant throughout the Paleozoic Era.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.