lorica
Americannoun
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Zoology. a hard protective case or sheath, as the protective coverings secreted by certain protists.
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a cuirass or corselet, originally of leather.
noun
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the hard outer covering of rotifers, ciliate protozoans, and similar organisms
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an ancient Roman cuirass of leather or metal
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of lorica
1700–10; lorica ( def. 1 ) < New Latin, special use of Latin lōrīca corselet (originally of leather), akin to lōrum thong; lorica ( def. 2 ) < Latin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When they contract they draw back to the bottom of the lorica; when expanded they usually stretch out of the mouth opening.
From Marine Protozoa from Woods Hole Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission 21:415-468, 1901 by Calkins, Gary N. (Gary Nathan)
Whether or not this species is to be regarded as having a lorica or not, must depend upon the precise meaning attached to that word.
From Marvels of Pond-life A Year's Microscopic Recreations by Slack, Henry J.
The distinguishing character is the colorless or brownish lorica of quite variable form but always attached.
From Marine Protozoa from Woods Hole Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission 21:415-468, 1901 by Calkins, Gary N. (Gary Nathan)
In some cases the mouth opening is wide, giving the lorica a bell form; it may be long and tubular, short and spherical, or variously indented.
From Marine Protozoa from Woods Hole Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission 21:415-468, 1901 by Calkins, Gary N. (Gary Nathan)
The form of the house, or lorica, varies greatly.
From Marine Protozoa from Woods Hole Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission 21:415-468, 1901 by Calkins, Gary N. (Gary Nathan)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
