copepod

[ koh-puh-pod ]

/ ˈkoʊ pəˌpɒd /

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noun

any of numerous tiny marine or freshwater crustaceans of the order (or subclass) Copepoda, lacking compound eyes or a carapace and usually having six pairs of limbs on the thorax, some abundant in plankton and others parasitic on fish.

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Origin of copepod

1830–40; <New Latin Copepoda name of the order <Greek kṓpē a handle, oar + -poda-poda

Words nearby copepod

copemate, copen, Copenhagen, copenhagen blue, Copenhagen interpretation, copepod, coper, Copernican, Copernican system, copernicium, Copernicus

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

How to use copepod in a sentence

Here, artificial light can be intense enough to confuse the copepods.
Night lights make even the seas bright|Carolyn Gramling|April 27, 2022|Science News For Students
Not all species are equally sensitive to light, so to assess impact, the team focused on copepods, ubiquitous shrimplike creatures that are a key part of many ocean food webs.
Even the sea has light pollution. These new maps show its extent|Carolyn Gramling|March 17, 2022|Science News
A bit like dogs getting fleas, sea slugs can be plagued by copepods.
A sea slug’s head can crawl around and grow a whole new body|Susan Milius|April 30, 2021|Science News For Students
Three of the slugs ditched their bodies along with a lot of those copepods.
A sea slug’s head can crawl around and grow a whole new body|Susan Milius|April 30, 2021|Science News For Students

Life styles vary, but some copepods attach themselves to sea slugs.
A sea slug’s head can crawl around and grow a whole new body|Susan Milius|April 30, 2021|Science News For Students
The body of the typical copepod is distinctly segmented, and the head and thorax are both enclosed in a hardened buckler.
The Sea Shore|William S. Furneaux
From the protopodites of both the latter spring strong hooks like those of the Copepod and Phyllopod Nauplii.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume II (of 4)|Francis Maitland Balfour
It still must pass through its life cycle, but its intermediate host need not be one species of snail, fish, or copepod.
The Lani People|J. F. Bone

British Dictionary definitions for copepod

copepod

/ (ˈkəʊpɪˌpɒd) /

noun

any minute free-living or parasitic crustacean of the subclass Copepoda of marine and fresh waters: an important constituent of plankton

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to the Copepoda

Word Origin for copepod

C19: from New Latin Copepoda, from Greek kōpē oar + pous foot

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 copepod

copepod

[ kō′pə-pŏd′ ]

Any of various very small crustaceans of the subclass Copepoda, having an elongated body and a forked tail. Unlike most crustaceans, copepods lack a carapace over the back and do not have compound eyes. They are abundant in both salt and fresh water, and are an important food source for many water animals. Copepods include the water fleas.