glochidium

[ gloh-kid-ee-uhm ]

/ gloʊˈkɪd i əm /

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noun, plural glo·chid·i·a

[gloh-kid-ee-uh]. /gloʊˈkɪd i ə/.

the larva of a freshwater mussel of the family Unionidae that lives as a temporary parasite in the gills or on other external parts of fishes.

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Origin of glochidium

1895–1900; <New Latin <Greek glōch(ís) point of an arrow + -idion diminutive suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM glochidium

glo·chid·i·al, adjective

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

British Dictionary definitions for glochidium

glochidium

/ (ɡləʊˈkɪdɪəm) /

noun plural -chidia (-ˈkɪdɪə)

a barbed hair, esp among the spore masses of water ferns and on certain other plants

a parasitic larva of certain freshwater mussels that attaches itself to the fins or gills of fish by hooks or suckers

Derived forms of glochidium

glochidiate, adjective

Word Origin for glochidium

C19: from New Latin, from Greek glōkhis projecting point

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