univalve

[ yoo-nuh-valv ]

/ ˈyu nəˌvælv /

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adjective Also u·ni·valved, u·ni·val·vu·lar

[yoo-nuh-val-vyuh-ler]. /ˌyu nəˈvæl vyə lər/.

having one valve.

(of a shell) composed of a single valve or piece.

noun

a univalve mollusk or its shell.

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crisp

crepitate

fuscous

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Origin of univalve

First recorded in 1655–65; uni- + valve

Words nearby univalve

unity of interest, unity ticket, univ., univalence, univalent, univalve, univariate, universal, universal affirmative, universal beam, universal chuck

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use univalve in a sentence

Some of these are most vivid in their shapes and ray-like markings, particularly the univalve shells.
Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
E is Spirorbis, a minute form with a coiled tube, which looks at first sight like a small univalve shell.
Stories of the Universe: Animal Life|B. Lindsay
The snail proper bears a typical univalve shell: though in its relatives (the slugs), the shell is more or less suppressed.
Stories of the Universe: Animal Life|B. Lindsay
The lid is not, however, like the tongue-ribbon, an essential feature of the structure of every univalve mollusc.
Stories of the Universe: Animal Life|B. Lindsay

The anterior of a spiral univalve is that part of the outer lip which is at the greatest distance from the apex.
A Conchological Manual|George Brettingham Sowerby

British Dictionary definitions for univalve

univalve

/ (ˈjuːnɪˌvælv) zoology /

adjective

relating to, designating, or possessing a mollusc shell that consists of a single piece (valve)

noun

a gastropod mollusc or its shell

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 univalve

univalve

[ yōō′nĭ-vălv′ ]

A gastropod, especially one with a single shell, such as a snail, cone, whelk, abalone, or limpet. Univalves belong to the subclass Prosobranchia. Their shells are usually spiral and can hold the whole animal inside. Compare bivalve.