bivalve

/'baivælv/

Thân thiện

A marine biologist carefully examines a bivalve on the sandy shore.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A marine or freshwater mollusk having a soft body with platelike gills enclosed within two shells (valves) hinged together. Examples include clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops.

2. Adjective:

   • Used to describe mollusks that possess two shells. It refers to the anatomical characteristic of having a two-part, hinged shell.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The scientist studied the bivalve found in the estuary.
  • Oysters are a commercially important type of bivalve.

• Adjective:

  • Clams are bivalve mollusks.
  • The bivalve shell was washed up on the beach.

Advanced Usage

• In scientific classification (taxonomy), the class Bivalvia comprises all bivalve mollusks.
  • The fossil record shows that Bivalvia have existed for hundreds of millions of years.

Variants and Related Words

• Bivalved (Adjective): An alternative form meaning "having two valves or shells."
  • The bivalved carapace of the crustacean was examined.
• Bivalvular (Adjective): A less common term with a similar meaning to bivalve.
• Bivalvia (Noun, plural): The scientific class name for all bivalves.

Synonyms

• Noun: Pelecypod, lamellibranch.
• Adjective: Pelecypod, lamellibranch.

Related Phrases and Terms

• Bivalve shell: The hard, protective two-part structure secreted by the animal.
  • The bivalve shell can often be identified by its growth rings.
• Filter feeder: A common ecological role for bivalves, as they feed by filtering particles from water.
  • As filter feeders, bivalves play a crucial role in water purification.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. used of mollusks having two shells (as clams etc.)

Noun

1. marine or freshwater mollusks having a soft body with platelike gills enclosed within two shells hinged together

Từ đồng nghĩa

• bivalved
• pelecypod
• lamellibranch