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operculum

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operculum

Main Entry:: oper·cu·lum
Pronunciation:: \ō-ˈpər-kyə-ləm\
Function:: noun
Inflected Form(s):: plural oper·cu·la \-lə\ also oper·cu·lums
Etymology:: New Latin, from Latin, cover, from operire to shut, cover
Date:: 1681

1: a body process or part that suggests a lid: as a: a horny or shelly plate on the posterior dorsal surface of the foot in many gastropod mollusks that closes the shell when the animal is retracted b: the covering of the gills of a fish — see fish illustration 2: a lid or covering flap (as of a moss capsule)

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