bivalve

[ bahy-valv ]

noun

1. Also called lamellibranch. Zoology. any mollusk, as the oyster, clam, scallop, or mussel, of the class Bivalvia, having two shells hinged together, a soft body, and lamellate gills.

adjective

1. Botany. having two valves, as a seedcase.
2. Zoology. having two shells, usually united by a hinge.
3. having two similar parts hinged together.

bivalve

/ ˈbaɪˌvælv /

noun

1. Alsopelecypodlamellibranch any marine or freshwater mollusc of the class Pelecypoda (formerly Bivalvia or Lamellibranchia ), having a laterally compressed body, a shell consisting of two hinged valves, and gills for respiration. The group includes clams, cockles, oysters, and mussels

adjective

1. Alsopelecypodlamellibranch of, relating to, or belonging to the Pelecypoda
2. Alsobivalvatebaɪˈvælveɪt biology having or consisting of two valves or similar parts

   a bivalve seed capsule

bivalve

/ bī′vălv′ /

1. Any of various mollusks of the class Bivalvia, having a shell consisting of two halves hinged together. Clams, oysters, scallops, and mussels are bivalves. The class Bivalvia is also called Pelecypoda, and was formerly called Lamellibranchia.
2. Compare univalve

Derived Forms

• biˈvalvular, adjective

Other Words From

• bi·val·vu·lar [bahy-, val, -vy, uh, -ler], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bivalve¹

First recorded in 1670–80; bi- ¹ + valve

Example Sentences

It was with scallops right out of St. Joe Bay that we made our version of Coquilles St. Jacques, as well as few more of my mother’s favorite recipes featuring those succulent bivalve mollusks that she and my sister pulled from the water.

From Salon

Melbourne drew on a historical resource -- the Museum's large bivalve collection, which dates to the late 1800s -- to trace environmental changes in natural settings.

From Science Daily

Now, decades later, he is publishing, “Mussels: An Homage in 50 Recipes,” a cookbook that also doubles as an ode to the simple bivalve and, as Herman puts it, “a moment when I reconciled with these exquisite creatures.”

From Salon

He put the wee bivalve in a petri dish and asked a colleague to set it aside.

From New York Times

In full transparency, I am so in love with this species of marine bivalve mollusks — but it didn't start out that way.

From Salon