brachiopod
noun
bra·chio·pod
| \ ˈbrā-kē-ə-ˌpäd
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Definition of brachiopod
: any of a phylum (Brachiopoda) of marine invertebrates with bivalve shells within which is a pair of arms bearing tentacles by which a current of water is made to bring microscopic food to the mouth
— called also lampshell
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Examples of brachiopod in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The first saw the emergence of brachiopods and molluscs, the second that of annelids, cnidarians, echinoderms and chordates (a group that includes the vertebrates). — The Economist, "The Cambrian explosion was caused by a lack of oxygen, not an abundance," 7 June 2018 That is in contradistinction to Cambrian fossils, among which are found representatives of all the main animal groups (annelids, arthropods, brachiopods, chordates, cnidarians, echinoderms, molluscs and so on) that are around today. — The Economist, "The Cambrian explosion was caused by a lack of oxygen, not an abundance," 7 June 2018 The warm coastal waters surrounding Gondwana were perfect for new kinds of animals, like brachiopods, crinoids, ostracodes, cephalopods, corals, and bryozoans. — Annalee Newitz, Ars Technica, "If you liked the Cambrian Explosion, you’ll love the Ordovician Radiation," 21 Nov. 2017 The creature has a shell like a brachiopod and has a tubular body similar to a group called phoronids or horseshoe worms. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Tiny Cone-Shaped Creature Gets a Twig on the Tree of Life," 12 Jan. 2017 Ancient creatures such as trilobites and brachiopods could not cope with the changes, and many of them went extinct. — Alexandra Witze, WIRED, "Toxic Oceans May Have Poisoned Early Animals," 5 Jan. 2011These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brachiopod.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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