trochus

noun

tro·​chus
ˈtrōkəs
1
a
capitalized : a genus of chiefly Old World tropical marine gastropods (family Trochidae) with beautifully nacreous bluntly conical shells including a large Indo-Pacific species (T. niloticus) extensively used in making buttons and ornamental objects
b
plural -es : top shell
2
plural trochi
-ōˌkī
or trochuses : the inner preoral band of cilia of a trochal disc
broadly : trochal disc

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, wheel, iron hoop, from Greek trochos wheel

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Cite this Entry

“Trochus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trochus. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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