bivalve

American  

[bahy-valv] / ˈbaɪˌvælv /

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 British  

/ ˈbaɪˌvælv /

noun

1. Also: pelecypod.   lamellibranch.  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. Also: pelecypod.   lamellibranch.  of, relating to, or belonging to the Pelecypoda

2. Also: bivalvate.  biology having or consisting of two valves or similar parts

   a bivalve seed capsule

bivalve Scientific  

/ 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

---

Other Word Forms

• bivalvular adjective

Etymology

Origin of bivalve

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

Example Sentences

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 • Jan. 31, 2024

He also analyzed oxygen isotope levels in the bivalve shells to determine that the holdfasts lived in slightly warmer water than today, at the upper range of temperatures found in modern kelp forests.

From Science Daily • Jan. 16, 2024

Left almost entirely unsupervised by her distracted, glamorous parents, Meg makes the city her oyster, with all the grit and pungency that little bivalve implies.

From New York Times • Nov. 25, 2023

The shells belonged to an assortment of tiny seafloor creatures, including small clams; bivalve crustaceans called ostracods; cone-shaped animals known as hyoliths; and stylophorans, oddly shaped precursors to starfish.

From Scientific American • Sep. 28, 2023

Mya, mī′a, n. a genus of bivalve shells: a clam of this genus.—n.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various