peristome

[ per-uh-stohm ]

/ ˈpɛr əˌstoʊm /

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noun

Botany. the one or two circles of small, pointed, toothlike appendages around the orifice of a capsule or urn of mosses, appearing when the lid is removed.

Zoology. any of various structures or sets of parts that surround or form the walls of a mouth or mouthlike opening.

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Origin of peristome

From the New Latin word peristoma, dating back to 1790–1800. See peri-, -stome

OTHER WORDS FROM peristome

per·i·sto·mal, per·i·sto·mat·ic

[per-uh-stuh-mat-ik], /ˌpɛr ə stəˈmæt ɪk/, per·i·sto·mi·al, adjective

Words nearby peristome

peristalith, peristalsis, peristaltic, Peristéri, peristerite, peristome, peristyle, peristylium, perisylvian cortex, peritectic, perithecium

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

How to use peristome in a sentence

The “mouth” or peristome is normally black, the shell larger and stouter than hortensis, in which the mouth is white.
Our British Snails|John William Horsley
The inner lip is that side of the peristome adjacent to the central pillar of the shell.
The Sea Shore|William S. Furneaux
The capsules of the mosses form very beautiful microscopic objects, especially those furnished with a toothed peristome.
An Elementary Text-book of the Microscope|John William Griffith
The capsule (fig. 5) is roundish-ovate, without a peristome, and the operculum is flattened.
An Elementary Text-book of the Microscope|John William Griffith

In this moss the peristome is single (fig. 18), consisting of thirty-two spirally twisted teeth, arranged in pairs.
An Elementary Text-book of the Microscope|John William Griffith

British Dictionary definitions for peristome

peristome

/ (ˈpɛrɪˌstəʊm) /

noun

a fringe of pointed teeth surrounding the opening of a moss capsule

any of various parts surrounding the mouth of invertebrates, such as echinoderms and earthworms, and of protozoans

Derived forms of peristome

peristomal or peristomial, adjective

Word Origin for peristome

C18: from New Latin peristoma, from peri- + Greek stoma mouth

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

Scientific definitions for peristome

peristome

[ pĕr′ĭ-stōm′ ]

A fringe of toothlike appendages surrounding the mouth of the spore capsule of some mosses. The teeth unfold under damp conditions and curl up under dry conditions to disperse spores gradually.

The area or parts around the mouth in certain invertebrates, such as the echinoderms.