foraminifer

American  

[fawr-uh-min-uh-fer, for-] / ˌfɔr əˈmɪn ə fər, ˌfɒr- /

noun

plural

foraminifers, foraminifera

1. any chiefly marine protozoan of the sarcodinian order Foraminifera, typically having a linear, spiral, or concentric shell perforated by small holes or pores through which pseudopodia extend.

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foraminifer British  

/ ˌfɒrəˈmɪnɪfə, fɒˌræmɪˈnɪfərəl /

noun

1. Often shortened to: foram.  any marine protozoan of the phylum Foraminifera , having a shell with numerous openings through which cytoplasmic processes protrude See also globigerina nummulite

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Other Word Forms

• foraminiferal adjective
• foraminiferous adjective

Etymology

Origin of foraminifer

1835–45; < New Latin Foraminifera, equivalent to Latin forāmin-, stem of forāmen foramen + -ifera; -i-, -fer

Example Sentences

Now, an international group of researchers have discovered a previously unknown species of large foraminifer, shedding new light on the ecological evolution and biodiversity of coral reefs in the Ryukyu Islands.

From Science Daily

The researchers, from Spain and Italy, looked at ratios of magnesium to calcite from planktonic foraminifer Globigerinoides ruber, a fossilized amoeba, in the Sicily Channel, to come up with their conclusions.

From Fox News

As many as half of all speceis of benthic foraminifers also went extinct, which may mean that organisms higher up on the marine chain were affected by acidification as well.

From Time

At one moment he has to deal with the bones of some large mammal scattered through a deposit of superficial gravel, at another time with the minute foraminifers and ostracods of an upraised sea-bottom.

From Project Gutenberg

Certain small foraminifers, for example, met with in some of the oldest formations, do not seem to differ from species which are still living.

From Project Gutenberg