operculum: Meaning and Definition of
o•per•cu•lum
Pronunciation: (ō-pûr'kyu-lum), [key]
— pl. -la -lums.
- a part or organ serving as a lid or cover, as a covering flap on a seed vessel.
-
- the gill cover of fishes and amphibians. See diag. underfish.
- (in many gastropods) a horny plate that closes the opening of the shell when the animal is retracted.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.