gills

/ ɡɪlz /

plural noun

1. sometimes singular the wattle of birds such as domestic fowl
2. green around the gills or green about the gills informal.
   looking or feeling nauseated

Idioms and Phrases

see fed to the gills ; green about the gills .

Example Sentences

But its wormy shape gives it the ability to swim right into the gills of fish, where it drinks its fill of blood.

From Salon

Their secret to success lies within: Symbiotic bacteria live inside their gills and help them meet their nutritional needs, forming such a close relationship that these clams couldn't survive without their little companions.

From Science Daily

"Depending on the contaminant and its chemistry, if it is small enough to pass through the gills of the mussel, it has the potential to accumulate in their tissue or precipitate within the hard-shell structure."

From Science Daily

Their faces are featureless except for a crown of frilly pink gills.

From New York Times

Second, its parapodia are covered in gills, while most ragworms absorb oxygen through their parapodia without the aid of true gills.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• box
• cavity
• door
• entrance
• gate
• rim