Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Popular Searches
Nearby Words

radulae

 - 3 dictionary results

rad⋅u⋅la

  [raj-oo-luh]
Use radulae in a Sentence
–noun, plural -lae  [-lee] .
a chitinous band in the mouth of most mollusks, set with numerous, minute, horny teeth and drawn backward and forward over the floor of the mouth in the process of breaking up food.
Origin:
1745–55; < NL rādula, L: scraper, equiv. to rād(ere) to scrape, rub + -ula -ule

Related forms:
rad⋅u⋅lar, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To radulae
rad·u·la   (rāj'ŏŏ-lə)   
n.   pl. rad·u·lae (-lē')
A flexible tonguelike organ in certain mollusks, having rows of horny teeth on the surface.

[Latin rādula, scraper, from rādere, to scrape; see rēd- in Indo-European roots.]
rad'u·lar adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: rad·u·la
Pronunciation: 'raj-&-l&
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural rad·u·lae /-"lE,-"lI/ also -las
: a horny band or ribbon in mollusks other than bivalves that bears minute teeth on its dorsal surface and tears up food and draws it into the mouthand that in some members of the gastropod genus Conus is used to inflict a poisonous and sometimes fatal bite —rad·u·lar /-l&r/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see radulae on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way