clitellum

American  

[klahy-tel-uhm] / klaɪˈtɛl əm /

noun

clitella plural

1. a ring or saddle-shaped region of glandular tissue in the body wall of certain annelids, as earthworms and some leeches, that after copulation secretes a cocoon in which the eggs and sperm are deposited for fertilization and development.

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clitellum British  

/ klɪˈtɛləm /

noun

1. a thickened saddle-like region of epidermis in earthworms and leeches whose secretions bind copulating worms together and later form a cocoon around the eggs

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• clitella
  plural

Etymology

Origin of clitellum

1830–40; < New Latin, neuter noun based on Latin clītellae packsaddle

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

clitellum

Each earthworm will form an egg capsule in its clitellum and pass it into the environment.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 21, 2017

The clitellum is a swollen, smooth section of the earthworm.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

Some species bear a specialized band of segments known as a clitellum.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

The position of the clitellum, which is universal in occurrence, varies much as does the number of component segments.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 7 "Cerargyrite" to "Charing Cross" by Various

The clitellum consists of a thickening of the epidermis, and is of two forms among the Oligochaeta.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 7 "Cerargyrite" to "Charing Cross" by Various