photophore

American

[foh-tuh-fawr, -fohr] / ˈfoʊ təˌfɔr, -ˌfoʊr /

noun

Zoology.

a luminous organ found in certain fishes and crustaceans.

photophore British

/ ˈfəʊtəˌfɔː /

noun

zoology any light-producing organ in animals, esp in certain fishes

"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

Etymology

Origin of photophore

First recorded in 1880–85; photo- + -phore

Example Sentences

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photophore

It may be the bedding is cold and, if so, it should be warmed up by the use of the photophore previously described, or by means of the flannel-covered hot water bottle.

From The Mother and Her Child by William S. Sadler

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023