Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

branchial heart

noun

Definition of branchial heart 

: a muscular enlargement of a vein of a cephalopod that contracts and drives the blood into the gills

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Learn More about branchial heart

Share branchial heart

Resources for branchial heart

Cite Time Traveler Time Traveler! Explore the year a word first appeared

Dictionary Entries near branchial heart

branchi-

branchial

branchial basket

branchial heart

branchial plume

branchial pouch

branchial sac

Statistics for branchial heart

Look-up Popularity

Comments on branchial heart

What made you want to look up branchial heart? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

acceptation

a generally accepted meaning of a word

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz

  • scrabble-tiles-that-read-scrabble-quiz
  • Which of the following Q-without-U words means the number five in cards or dice?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games