foraminifer
[ fawr-uh-min-uh-fer, for- ]
/ ˌfɔr əˈmɪn ə fər, ˌfɒr- /
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noun, plural for·a·min·i·fers, fo·ram·i·nif·er·a [fuh-ram-uh-nif-er-uh]. /fəˌræm əˈnɪf ər ə/.
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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Origin of foraminifer
OTHER WORDS FROM foraminifer
fo·ram·i·nif·er·al, fo·ram·i·nif·er·ous, adjectiveWords nearby foraminifer
foramen ovale, foramen spinosum, foramina, foraminal node, foraminate, foraminifer, foraminiferan, forasmuchas, for a song, for a wonder, foray
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for foraminifer
The Laurentian rocks have yielded only one fossil—a large foraminifer named Eozoon Canadense.
Geology|James GeikieOne species at least of these creatures was a true Foraminifer, allied, though somewhat distantly, to Eozoon.
The Story of the Earth and Man|J. W. DawsonThe foraminifer multiplies by fission, or by a process of budding.
The Sea Shore|William S. Furneaux
British Dictionary definitions for foraminifer
foraminifer
/ (ˌfɒrəˈmɪnɪfə) /
noun
any marine protozoan of the phylum Foraminifera, having a shell with numerous openings through which cytoplasmic processes protrudeOften shortened to: foram See also globigerina, nummulite
Derived forms of foraminifer
foraminiferal (fɒˌræmɪˈnɪfərəl) or foraminiferous, adjectiveWord Origin for foraminifer
C19: from New Latin, from foramen + -fer
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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