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ostracod

American  
[os-truh-kod] / ˈɒs trəˌkɒd /

noun

  1. seed shrimp.


ostracod British  
/ ˈɒstrəˌkɒd /

noun

  1. any minute crustacean of the mainly freshwater subclass Ostracoda, in which the body is enclosed in a transparent two-valved carapace

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of ostracod

1860–65; < New Latin Ostracoda name of the subclass < Greek ostrakṓdēs, equivalent to óstrak ( on ) shell, tile ( see ostracize) + -ōdēs -ode 1

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.

See Examples For:

That is 273 million years earlier than the glowing ostracod crustaceans that previously held the title of earliest evolution of bioluminescence in animals.

From Science Daily Apr. 23, 2024

Males of the ostracod species Photeros annecohenae, which live in shallow seagrasses in the western Caribbean Sea, rely on two main tactics to compete with one another.

From Science Magazine Nov. 28, 2023

But sometimes an ostracod will stay dark and sneak up on another displaying male, in hopes of intercepting a female drawn in by the competitor’s display.

From Science Magazine Nov. 28, 2023

So they were able to compare characteristics of extinct ostracod species with the abundant living species.

From Salon Jun. 8, 2018

The team of researchers set about studying 93 species of extinct ostracod, featured in a recent study published in Nature.

From Salon Jun. 8, 2018

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