ostracod

noun

os·​tra·​cod ˈä-strə-ˌkäd How to pronounce ostracod (audio)
variants or less commonly ostracode
ˈä-strə-ˌkōd How to pronounce ostracod (audio)
: any of a subclass (Ostracoda) of very small aquatic crustaceans that have the body enclosed in a bivalve carapace, the body segmentation obscured, the abdomen rudimentary, and only seven pairs of appendages

Examples of ostracod in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Hong Kong has found many plant and animal fossils, including ostracod and ammonite fossils from about 400 to 190 million years ago, but this is the first time dinosaur fossils have been unearthed in the city, the handout said. — Peter Guo, NBC News, 24 Oct. 2024 Most of them appeared to be ostracods, a small crustacean that remains common today (there are 13,000 existing ostracod species). — John Timmer, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

from the base of New Latin Ostracoda, neuter plural, borrowed from Greek ostrakṓdēs "like an earthern pot (of a crab shell), testaceous," from óstrakon "earthen vessel, potsherd" + -ōdēs "having the qualities of" (originally, "smelling of," s-stem adjective from the base of ózein "to smell, give off an odor," as in anthemṓdēs "smelling like flowers" > "flowery, blooming") — more at ostracon, odor

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ostracod was in 1865

Rhymes for ostracod

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Cite this Entry

“Ostracod.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ostracod. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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