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epiphragm
[ ep-uh-fram ]
noun
- a calcified or membranous septum produced by certain land snails during hibernation and functioning to cover the shell opening and prevent desiccation.
- Botany. a membrane enclosing the capsule in certain mosses.
epiphragm
/ ˈɛpɪˌfræm /
noun
- a disc of calcium phosphate and mucilage secreted by snails over the aperture of their shells before hibernation
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Other Words From
- ep·i·phrag·mal [ep-, uh, -, frag, -m, uh, l], adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of epiphragm1
1820–30; < Greek epíphragma covering, lid, equivalent to epi- epi- + phrágma fence
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Word History and Origins
Origin of epiphragm1
C19: via New Latin from Greek epiphragma a lid, from epiphrassein, from epi- + phrassein to place in an enclosure
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