isopod

American  

[ahy-suh-pod] / ˈaɪ səˌpɒd /

noun

1. any freshwater, marine, or terrestrial crustacean of the order or suborder Isopoda, having seven pairs of legs typically adapted for crawling, and a dorsoventrally flattened body, and including wood lice, several aquatic parasites of crabs and shrimps, and numerous swimming or bottom-dwelling species.

---

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Isopoda.

2. having the feet all alike, or similar in character.

isopod British  

/ ˈaɪsəʊˌpɒd, aɪˈsɒpədən /

noun

1. any crustacean of the order Isopoda, including woodlice and pill bugs, in which the body is flattened dorsoventrally

---

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Isopoda

isopod Scientific  

/ ī′sə-pŏd′ /

1. Any of numerous mostly small crustaceans of the order Isopoda, characterized by a flattened body usually bearing seven pairs of legs. Isopods include the sow bugs, pill bugs, and gribbles.

---

Other Word Forms

• isopodan adjective
• isopodous adjective

Etymology

Origin of isopod

From the New Latin word Isopoda, dating back to 1825–35. See iso-, -pod

Example Sentences

Found in the Australian intertidal zone, the isopod also represents a completely new genus.

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2025

The roughly 3-millimeter-long isopod is one of only 15 species from the genus Gnathia currently known in the region, the team wrote in the study.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2023

The restaurant steams the isopod for 10 minutes before adding it to the top of a bowl of ramen with thick chicken and fish broth.

From Reuters • May 28, 2023

The seaweed species she was studying, Gracilaria gracilis, always seemed popular with invertebrates, specifically the isopod species Idotea balthica.

From New York Times • Jul. 28, 2022

The marine isopod Idotea entomon, related to the common wood-louse, has a similar distribution.

From The History of the European Fauna by Scharff, Robert Francis