- the hard bony flap covering the gill slits in fishes
- the bony plate in certain gastropods covering the opening of the shell when the body is withdrawn
- the covering of the spore-bearing capsule of a moss
- any other covering or lid in various organisms
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
o•per•cu•late
(ō pûr′kyə lit, -lāt′),USA pronunciation adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Zoologyhaving an operculum.
- Latin opercul(um) cover (see operculum) + -ate1
- 1765–75
o•per•cu•lum
(ō pûr′kyə ləm),USA pronunciation n., pl. -la (-lə),USA pronunciation -lums.
o•per′cu•lar, adj.
- Botany, Zoologya part or organ serving as a lid or cover, as a covering flap on a seed vessel.
- Zoology
- the gill cover of fishes and amphibians. See diag. under fish.
- (in many gastropods) a horny plate that closes the opening of the shell when the animal is retracted.
- Neo-Latin, Latin: lid, cover, equivalent. to oper(īre) to cover + -culum -cule2
- 1705–15
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
operculum /əʊˈpɜːkjʊləm/, opercule /əʊˈpɜːkjuːl/ n ( pl -la /-lə/, -lums)
'operculate' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):