foraminifer Hear it!

foraminifer definition

fora·mini·fer (fôr′ə min′i fər)

noun pl. foraminifera fo·ram′i·nif′·era (fə ram′ə nif′ər ə)

any of an order (Foraminiferida) of marine protozoans with calcareous shells full of tiny holes through which slender filaments project: they form the main component of chalk and many deep-sea oozes
also called foraminiferan fo·ram′i·nif′·eran (fō ram′ə nif′ər ən)

Etymology: < L foramen (gen. foraminis): see foramen & -fer

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.