amphipod

noun am·phi·pod \ -ˌpäd \

Definition of amphipod

: any of a large order (Amphipoda) of small crustaceans (such as the sand flea) with a laterally compressed body

—

amphipod

adjective

See amphipod defined for kids

Recent Examples of amphipod from the Web

Cystisoma belong to a suborder of marine crustaceans called hyperiid amphipods, which live in every ocean, from just below the surface to right near the floor.

— emily underwood, Smithsonian, "The Master of Disguise of the Ocean Reveals Its Secrets," 30 Sep. 2017
PCBs had been detected in Hirondellea gigas, tiny shrimp-like amphipods scooped up by deep-water trawlers.

— rebecca altman, The Atlantic, "How the Benzene Tree Polluted the World," 4 Oct. 2017
Besides PCBs, amphipods living in the Mariana also harbor PBDEs, though the most prevalent commercial mixtures have been phased out of U.S. production and named to the UN Stockholm Convention as well.

— rebecca altman, The Atlantic, "How the Benzene Tree Polluted the World," 4 Oct. 2017
Most were spineless marine critters: sea stars, sea slugs, oysters, barnacles, mussels, amphipods, bryozoans and isopods.

— ben guarino, Alaska Dispatch News, "Plastic junk brought invasive species to U.S. after Japan’s 2011 tsunami," 29 Sep. 2017
Skin-crawling video shows amphipods, also referred to as sand fleas or sea fleas, gnawing away at the steak used to lure it from the water.

— National Geographic, "Mysterious Flesh-Eating Sea Creature Causes Shocking Injury," 7 Aug. 2017
There, White joins a biologist to learn about what lives in the mudflats — mostly tiny amphipods known as mudshrimp, essential food for migrating shorebirds.

— nancy lord, Alaska Dispatch News, "Fascinating book on tides includes Alaska," 12 Aug. 2017
Alistair Poore, associate professor at the University of New South Wales, told the New York Times that the animals in Jarrod's video were not sea lice, but amphipods, but added that they are not known to bite humans.

— Time, "Strange Sea Creatures Chewed Up This Teen Boy's Legs," 7 Aug. 2017
Paraphromina, another clear amphipod, has unique compound eyes, which look like rows of runway lights that face both upward and sideways.

— National Geographic, "This Animal's Eye Makes Up Almost Half of Its Body," 20 Aug. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amphipod.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.