[brey-kee-uh-pod, brak-ee-] 
| 1. | any mollusklike, marine animal of the phylum Brachiopoda, having a dorsal and ventral shell; a lamp shell. |
| 2. | Also, bra⋅chi⋅op⋅o⋅dous [brey-kee-op-uh-duh s, brak-ee] . belonging or pertaining to the Brachiopoda. |
| bra·chi·o·pod (brā'kē-ə-pŏd', brāk'ē-) n. Any of various marine invertebrates of the phylum Brachiopoda, having bivalve dorsal and ventral shells enclosing a pair of tentacled, armlike structures that are used to sweep minute food particles into the mouth. Also called lampshell. [From New Latin Brāchiopoda, phylum name : Latin brācchium, arm; see brachium + New Latin -poda, -pod.] brach'i·o·pod' adj. |
brachiopod
any member of the phylum Brachiopoda, a group of bottom-dwelling marine invertebrates. They are covered by two valves, or shells; one valve covers the dorsal, or top, side; the other covers the ventral, or bottom, side. The valves, of unequal size, are bilaterally symmetrical; i.e., the right and left sides are mirror images of one another. Brachiopods (from the Greek words meaning "arm" and "foot") are commonly known as lamp shells because they resemble early Roman oil lamps.
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