glochidium

 [gloh-kid-ee-uhm]  

glo·chid·i·um

   [gloh-kid-ee-uhm]
noun, plural glo·chid·i·a  [-kid-ee-uh] .
1.
glochid.
2.
the larva of a freshwater mussel of the family Unionidae that lives as a temporary parasite in the gills or on other external parts of fishes.
Origin:
1895–1900; < Neo-Latin < Greek glōch(ís) point of an arrow + -idion diminutive suffix

Related forms
glo·chid·i·al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Glochidium is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
glochidium (ɡləʊˈkɪdɪəm)
 
—n , pl -chidia
1.  a barbed hair, esp among the spore masses of water ferns and on certain other plants
2.  a parasitic larva of certain freshwater mussels that attaches itself to the fins or gills of fish by hooks or suckers
 
[C19: from New Latin, from Greek glōkhis projecting point]
 
glo'chidiate
 
—adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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