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periostraca

 - 2 dictionary results

per⋅i⋅os⋅tra⋅cum

  [per-ee-os-truh-kuhm]
Use periostraca in a Sentence
–noun, plural -ca  [-kuh] .
the external, chitinlike covering of the shell of certain mollusks that protects the limy portion from acids.
Origin:
1830–40; < NL, equiv. to peri- peri- + ostracum a shell < Gk óstrakon. See oyster

Related forms:
per⋅i⋅os⋅tra⋅cal, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To periostraca
per·i·os·tra·cum   (pěr'ē-ŏs'trə-kəm)   
n.   pl. per·i·os·tra·ca (-kə)
The hard chitinous outer covering of the shell of many mollusks, especially freshwater ones, that protects the shell from the erosive action of water.

[New Latin : peri- + Greek ostrakon, shell; see ost- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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