operculum
noun
oper·cu·lum
ō-ˈpər-kyə-ləm 
plural opercula
ō-ˈpər-kyə-lə
also operculums
also operculums
1
: a body process or part that suggests a lid: such as
a
: a horny or shelly plate on the posterior dorsal surface of the foot in many gastropod mollusks that closes the shell when the animal is retracted
b
: the covering of the gills of a fish see fish illustration
2
: a lid or covering flap (as of a moss capsule)
Examples of operculum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The electroencephalographic laser-evoked potentials (LEPs) were modelled using six equivalent source dipoles located in the left and right fronto-opercular/anterior-insular cortex, left parietal operculum, left primary somatosensory cortex, medial parietal cortex and left medial temporal cortex.
—
Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 26 Sep. 2012
The finding of a seizure focus^ in the left frontal operculum, adjacent to the tumor, is consistent^ with the hypothesis that activation of this region by appetite^ triggered seizure activity that then propagated to the surrounding^ cortex and was manifest clinically as a motor seizure.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 17 Mar. 2010
Scallops, for example, showcase a complex system of camouflage, with a colored shell on top and a white shell on the bottom; most gastropods are born with trapdoor-like devices called an operculum, which protect them from predators.
—Susan Glaser, cleveland.com, 10 Jan. 2018
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Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 26 Sep. 2012
The finding of a seizure focus^ in the left frontal operculum, adjacent to the tumor, is consistent^ with the hypothesis that activation of this region by appetite^ triggered seizure activity that then propagated to the surrounding^ cortex and was manifest clinically as a motor seizure.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 17 Mar. 2010
Scallops, for example, showcase a complex system of camouflage, with a colored shell on top and a white shell on the bottom; most gastropods are born with trapdoor-like devices called an operculum, which protect them from predators.
—Susan Glaser, cleveland.com, 10 Jan. 2018
Dictionary Entries Near operculum
Cite this Entry
“Operculum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/operculum. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
operculum
noun
oper·cu·lum
ō-ˈpər-kyə-ləm
plural opercula
-lə
also operculums
also operculums
: any of several parts of the cerebrum bordering the sylvian fissure and concealing the insula
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