Chiton
1
9.9
A sea creature with eight hard plates on its back that clings to rocks
- noun
- /ˈkaɪtən/
- Specialized
:
quitón
- The biologist studied the chiton's unique shell structure, which consists of eight overlapping plates.
Examples
-
They stepped on whelks drying on the front step, trod over a pile of chitons by the bathroom.
Fiction book (2001) -
The chiton clung tightly to the rock, its eight-plated shell providing protection from predators.
-
On the rocky shore, we found several chitons grazing on the algae that grew on the stones.
Synonyms
9.9
A sea animal with eight overlapping hard plates that clings to rocks
is the scientific genus name rather than a descriptive common phrase
9.9
A sea animal with a shell of eight hard plates that clings to rocks
is the formal genus name not a poetic or informal label
9.9
A sea animal with eight hard plates on its back that crawls on rocks
refers specifically to one genus within that broader class
Surface Forms
Etymology
Chiton comes from the Greek word khitōn, which meant 'tunic' or 'garment'. The sea animal was named this because its eight shell plates fit together like a little 'tunic' or coat over its body, so remembering 'tunic' helps you picture the animal.