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pteropod

noun
ptero·​pod | \ ˈter-É™-ËŒpäd How to pronounce pteropod (audio) \

Definition of pteropod

: any of the opisthobranch mollusks comprising two orders (Thecosomata and Gymnosomata) and having the anterior lobes of the foot expanded into broad thin winglike swimming organs

Examples of pteropod in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 Mucous-mesh grazers include salps, pyrosomes, doliolids, pteropods and appendicularians. — Kelly Sutherland, Smithsonian, "These Strange Ocean Creatures Trap Their Food In a Net of Mucus," 3 May 2018 Already, the shells of some animals are thinning, plankton are having trouble growing, and sea animals ranging from scallops to pteropods are dying out. — Sena Christian, Newsweek, "Breakfast in Post-Apocalypse America: Inside Colorado's Fort Knox of Food," 19 Nov. 2015

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

First Known Use of pteropod

1833, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for pteropod

New Latin Pteropoda, group name, from Greek pteron wing + New Latin -poda

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More from Merriam-Webster on pteropod

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pteropod

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