operculum Hear it!

operculum Definition

oper·cu·lum (ō pʉr′kyo̵̅o̅ ləm, -kyə-)

noun pl. -·la--lə or -·lums

any of various covering flaps or lidlike structures in plants and animals; specif.,

  1. the bony covering protecting the gills of fishes: see fish,
  2. in many gastropods, the horny plate serving to close the shell when the animal is retracted
  3. the lid of spore cases in mosses
  4. the lid of a pitcher-shaped leaf

Etymology: ModL < L, lid, dim. < operire, to close, shut: for IE bases see ob- & aperture

operculum Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

  • sp.: One specimen was a Turbo sp. shell; the other six were Turbo sp. opercula.

Noun used with modifier

  • sp.: Microscopic thin-section examination of the Turbo sp. opercula from spit 40 revealed significant differences between specimens.