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operculum definition

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

noun pl. opercula -·la (-lə) or operculums -·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

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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