gill slit

[ gil ]

noun

1. branchial cleft.

gill slit

/ ɡɪl /

noun

1. any of a series of paired linear openings to the exterior from the sides of the pharynx in fishes and some amphibians. They contain the gills

gill slit

1. In primitive chordates and cartilaginous fish, such as sharks, one of several narrow external openings connecting with the pharynx through which water passes to the exterior, thereby bathing the gills. Bony fish and all other vertebrates, including humans, have rudimentary gill slits during their embryonic stage.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gill slit¹

First recorded in 1850–55