Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

chiton

 - 3 dictionary results

chi⋅ton

  [kahyt-n, kahy-ton]
Use chiton in a Sentence
–noun
1. Also called sea cradle. a mollusk of the class Amphineura, having a mantle covered with calcareous plates, found adhering to rocks.
2. a gown or tunic, with or without sleeves, worn by both sexes in ancient Greece.
Origin:
1810–20; < Gk chitn tunic < Sem (cf. Heb kuttōneth tunic); ult. < Sumerian
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To chiton
chi·ton   (kīt'n, kī'tŏn')   
n.  

  1. Any of various marine mollusks of the class Polyplacophora that live on rocks and have shells consisting of eight overlapping calcareous plates. Also called sea cradle.

  2. A tunic worn by men and women in ancient Greece.


[Greek khitōn, tunic, from Central Semitic *kittān, from Akkadian kitû, kita'um, flax, linen, from Sumerian gada, gida.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

chiton

any of numerous flattened, bilaterally symmetrical marine mollusks, worldwide in distribution but most abundant in warm regions. The approximately 600 species are usually placed in the class Placophora, Polyplacophora, or Loricata (phylum Mollusca).

Learn more about chiton with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see chiton on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way