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Dictionary Language resources

operculum

Pronunciation: /ə(ʊ)ˈpəːkjʊləm/

Definition of operculum

noun (plural opercula /-lə/)

Zoology & Botany

a structure that closes or covers an aperture, in particular:
technical term for gill cover.
a secreted plate that closes the aperture of a gastropod mollusc’s shell when the animal is retracted.
a lid-like structure of the spore-containing capsule of a moss.