glochidia

Variant of glochidium

glochidium definition

glo·chid·ium (glō kid′ē əm)

noun pl. glochidia -·ia (-ə)

  1. Bot. a barbed hair or bristle, as on certain cactuses or on the spore masses of ferns
  2. Zool. the parasitic larval stage of freshwater mussels (family Unionidae) which infests the gills, etc. of many fishes

Etymology: ModL < Gr glōchis, point (see gloss) + ModL -idium, dim. suffix < Gr -idion

Related Forms:

  • glochidiate glo·chid′i·ate (-it, -āt′) adjective

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

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