nephridium

ne·phrid·i·um

[nuh-frid-ee-uhm]
noun, plural ne·phrid·i·a [-frid-ee-uh] . Zoology.
the excretory organ of many invertebrates, consisting of a tubule with one end opening into the body cavity and the other opening into a pore at the body surface.

Origin:
1875–80; < Neo-Latin; see nephr-, -idium

ne·phrid·i·al, adjective
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World English Dictionary
nephridium (nɪˈfrɪdɪəm) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n , pl -ia
a simple excretory organ of many invertebrates, consisting of a tube through which waste products pass to the exterior
 
[C19: New Latin: little kidney]
 
ne'phridial
 
adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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00:10
Nephridium is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

nephridium ne·phrid·i·um (nə-frĭd'ē-əm)
n. pl. ne·phrid·i·a (-ē-ə)
The embryonic excretory organ from which the kidney develops.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

nephridium

unit of the excretory system in many primitive invertebrates and also in the amphioxus; it expels wastes from the body cavity to the (usually aquatic) exterior. The evolution of nephridia encouraged tissue specialization by eliminating the need for all cells of an organism to be in contact with seawater for diffusion of metabolic wastes.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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