operculum

o·per·cu·lum  (-pûrky-lm)

n. pl. o·per·cu·la (-l) or o·per·cu·lums

A lid or flap covering an aperture, such as the gill cover in some fishes or the horny shell cover in snails or other mollusks.

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[Latin, lid, from operre, to cover; see wer-⁴ in Indo-European roots.]

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o·percu·lar (-lr) adj.

o·percu·lar·ly adv.

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operculum [oh-perk-yew-lum, -la]

Noun

pl -la -lums a covering flap or lidlike structure in animals or plants [Latin: lid]

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operculum  (-pûrky-lm)

Plural opercula or operculums

A lid or flap covering an opening, such as the gill cover in some fish or the horny flap covering the opening of a snail.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

operculum - a hard flap serving as a cover for (a) the gill slits in fishes or (b) the opening of the shell in certain gastropods when the body is retracted plate - any flat platelike body structure or part