Definitions for operculum
oʊˈpɜr kyə ləmop·er·cu·lum

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. operculumnoun

   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

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. operculumnoun

   A covering flap or lidlike structure in plants and animals, such as a gill cover

2. Etymology: From operire.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. operculum

   An operculum is a structure, often a lid or covering, that serves as a protective barrier or gate for certain organisms. This structure can be found in various groups of animals and plants. For example, in fish, it protects the gills, in snails, it serves as a door to retreat into the shell, and in some plants, it covers the spore-producing structures. The nature and function of the operculum can vary widely among different species.

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Operculum

   The operculum, meaning little lid, is a corneous or calcareous anatomical structure like a trapdoor which exists in many groups of sea snails and freshwater snails, and also in a few groups of land snails. In other words, this structure is found in some marine and freshwater gastropods, and in a minority of terrestrial gastropods, including the families Helicinidae, Cyclophoridae, Aciculidae, Maizaniidae, Pomatiidae, etc. The operculum is attached to the upper surface of the foot and in its most complete state, it serves as a sort of "trapdoor" to close the aperture of the shell when the soft parts of the animal are retracted. The shape of the operculum varies greatly from one family of gastropods to another. It is fairly often circular, or more or less oval in shape. In species where the operculum fits snugly, its outline corresponds exactly to the shape of the aperture of the shell and it serves to seal the entrance of the shell. A small air-hole may remain to aid respiration, especially during aestivation. Many families have opercula that are reduced in size, and which are not capable of closing the shell aperture. Opercula have sometimes been modified: in the Strombidae the operculum is claw-shaped and is used to push into the substrate in a leaping form of locomotion.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Operculum

   ō-pėr′kū-lum, n. (bot.) a cover or lid: (zool.) the plate over the entrance of a shell: the apparatus which protects the gills of fishes:—pl. Oper′cula.—adjs. Oper′cular, belonging to the operculum; Oper′culate, -d, having an operculum; Operculif′erous; Oper′culiform; Operculig′enous; Operculig′erous. [L.,—operīre, to cover.]

EntomologyRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Operculum

   a lid or covering: in Diptera, the chitinous envelope covering the lower part of the muscid mouth; the labrum-epipharynx of Dimmock: the scutes covering the meso-thoracic stigmata: in Aleurodidae, the lid-like structure closing the vasiform orifice; q.v.

Matched Categories

1. • Plate

How to pronounce operculum?

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Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of operculum in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of operculum in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

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References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=operculum
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Operculum
3. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
4. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=operculum
5. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=operculum
6. ^ Entomology
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22748/22748-h/22748-h.htm#:~:text=operculum