: any of a class (Bivalvia synonym Pelecypoda) of typically marine mollusks (such as clams, oysters, or scallops) that have a 2-valved hinged shell, are usually filter feeders, and lack a distinct head
Examples of bivalve in a Sentence
Noun
clams, mussels, oysters, and other bivalves
Recent Examples on the Web
BostonGlobe.com, 10 Oct. 2019
Deep-sea wood borers (Xylophaga, a genus of bivalve mollusks) take over where shallow water gribbles and shipworms left off.
—Brian Payton, Smithsonian, 9 Feb. 2018
Kenny Torrella, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Now in its 31st edition, Elliott’s celebration of bivalves grown in the waters around the region draws seafood lovers to a massive tent erected on Pier 56.
—Leslie Kelly, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
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Adjective
The town’s big, bivalve-themed bash, Wellfleet Oyster Fest, happens annually on the weekend after Columbus Day (Oct. 19 and 20 this year) along Main Street.
—BostonGlobe.com, 10 Oct. 2019
Deep-sea wood borers (Xylophaga, a genus of bivalve mollusks) take over where shallow water gribbles and shipworms left off.
—Brian Payton, Smithsonian, 9 Feb. 2018
Noun
One such assessment, published Nature in 2021, found that seaweed and bivalves, like mussels and oysters, have the lowest environmental footprint of all aquaculture foods.
—Kenny Torrella, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Now in its 31st edition, Elliott’s celebration of bivalves grown in the waters around the region draws seafood lovers to a massive tent erected on Pier 56.
—Leslie Kelly, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bivalve
Dictionary Entries Near bivalve
Cite this Entry
“Bivalve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bivalve. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bivalve
1 of 2 adjective
bi·valve
ˈbī-ˌvalv 
: having or being a shell composed of two movable valves
a bivalve mollusk
bivalve
2 of 2 noun
: any of a class of typically marine mollusks (as clams, oysters, and scallops) that have a shell made up of two parts joined by a hinge, are usually filter feeders, and lack a distinct head
Medical Definition
bivalve
2 of 2 transitive verb
bivalved; bivalving
: to split (a cast) along one or two sides (as to relieve pressure)
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