spirifer

noun

spi·​ri·​fer
ˈspīrəfə(r)
1
capitalized : a large genus (the type of the family Spiriferidae) of articulate brachiopods that have the arms supported within the shell by long spirally coiled spiralia which form a pair of cones with their apexes directed more or less laterally toward the ends of the long hinge line and that abound in Silurian, Devonian, and Carboniferous formations
2
or spiriferid
spīˈrifərə̇d
plural -s [spiriferid from New Latin Spiriferidae family of brachiopods, from Spirifer, type genus + -idae] : any brachiopod of Spirifer or a related genus

called also spire-bearer

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from spir- + -fer

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Cite this Entry

“Spirifer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spirifer. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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