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definitions

pelecypod

[puh-les-uh-pod]
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noun

any mollusk of the class Pelecypoda (Lamellibranchiata), characterized by a bivalve shell enclosing the headless body and lamellate gills, comprising the oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops.

adjective

Also pel·e·cyp·o·dous [pel-uh-sip-uh-duh s] /ˌpɛl əˈsɪp ə dəs/. belonging or pertaining to the Pelecypoda.

Origin of pelecypod

1855–60; < New Latin Pelecypoda < Greek péleky(s) hatchet + New Latin -poda; see -pod
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pelecypod

Historical Examples of pelecypod

  • Excepting in a few families, the pelecypod foot is well developed.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide

    Augusta Foote Arnold

  • When a pelecypod dies and the pull of the adductor muscles is released, the valves gape open.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide

    Augusta Foote Arnold

  • The greatest possible degree of variation exists in the structure of the pelecypod shell.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide

    Augusta Foote Arnold

  • A good balance is preserved between them all, the result being a high type of pelecypod.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide

    Augusta Foote Arnold

  • In this family we encounter, rather suddenly, some new features not heretofore seen in the pelecypod structure.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide

    Augusta Foote Arnold

British Dictionary definitions for pelecypod

pelecypod

noun, adjective

another word for bivalve (def. 1), bivalve (def. 2)

Word Origin for pelecypod

C19: from Greek pelekus hatchet + -pod
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