univalve

[ yoo-nuh-valv ]

adjectiveAlso u·ni·valved, u·ni·val·vu·lar [yoo-nuh-val-vyuh-ler]. /ˌyu nəˈvæl vyə lər/.
  1. having one valve.

  2. (of a shell) composed of a single valve or piece.

noun
  1. a univalve mollusk or its shell.

Origin of univalve

1
First recorded in 1655–65; uni- + valve

Words Nearby univalve

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use univalve in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for univalve

univalve

/ (ˈjuːnɪˌvælv) zoology /


adjective
  1. relating to, designating, or possessing a mollusc shell that consists of a single piece (valve)

noun
  1. a gastropod mollusc or its shell

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 univalve

univalve

[ yōōnĭ-vălv′ ]


  1. A gastropod, especially one with a single shell, such as a snail, cone, whelk, abalone, or limpet. Univalves belong to the subclass Prosobranchia. Their shells are usually spiral and can hold the whole animal inside. Compare bivalve.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.