peristome
Botany. the one or two circles of small, pointed, toothlike appendages around the orifice of a capsule or urn of mosses, appearing when the lid is removed.
Zoology. any of various structures or sets of parts that surround or form the walls of a mouth or mouthlike opening.
Origin of peristome
1Other words from peristome
- per·i·sto·mal, per·i·sto·mat·ic [per-uh-stuh-mat-ik], /ˌpɛr ə stəˈmæt ɪk/, per·i·sto·mi·al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use peristome in a sentence
Peristomial wreath projecting when expanded above a circular contractile collar-like rim.
Cilia nearly uniform, not associated with cirrhi or membranelles, nor forming a peristomial wreath.
Peristomial wreath, not protrusible, surrounded by a very high usually spiral collar.
Wreath of distinct membranelles—or of cilia fused at the base—enclosing a peristomial area and leading into the mouth.
The mouth is large and placed at the apex of the peristomial triangle and opens into a comparatively small œsophagus.
Marine Protozoa from Woods Hole | Gary N. Calkins
British Dictionary definitions for peristome
/ (ˈpɛrɪˌstəʊm) /
a fringe of pointed teeth surrounding the opening of a moss capsule
any of various parts surrounding the mouth of invertebrates, such as echinoderms and earthworms, and of protozoans
Origin of peristome
1Derived forms of peristome
- peristomal or peristomial, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for peristome
[ pĕr′ĭ-stōm′ ]
A fringe of toothlike appendages surrounding the mouth of the spore capsule of some mosses. The teeth unfold under damp conditions and curl up under dry conditions to disperse spores gradually.
The area or parts around the mouth in certain invertebrates, such as the echinoderms.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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