Pteriidae

plural noun

Pte·​ri·​idae
təˈrīəˌdē,
teˈr-
: a family of bivalve mollusks (group Pectinaceae) most prominent in the Paleozoic and surviving chiefly in warm seas, including the pearl oysters, and having the right valve smaller and lower, the hinge line long and straight, the shell attached by a byssus, and the foot reduced

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Pteria, type genus (from pter- + -ia) + -idae

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Cite this Entry

“Pteriidae.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pteriidae. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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