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Glite Dictionary
dibranchiate mollusk

dibranchiate mollusk

9.9
A sea animal with two gills like a squid or octopus
  • noun
  • /ˌdaɪˈbræŋkiət ˈmɒləsk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : molusco dibranquial
  • The squid is a well-known example of a dibranchiate mollusk found in oceans globally.

Examples

  • Biologists study dibranchiate mollusks to understand their unique methods of locomotion and camouflage.

  • Many dibranchiate mollusks exhibit remarkable camouflage abilities.

  • Unlike the extinct belemnites, most living cephalopods are dibranchiate mollusks.

  • The dibranchiate mollusk is known for its advanced nervous system.

  • The squid is a well-known example of a dibranchiate mollusk found in oceans globally.

  • Biologists study dibranchiate mollusks to understand their unique methods of locomotion and camouflage.

  • Many dibranchiate mollusks exhibit remarkable camouflage abilities.

Synonyms

dibranchiate
vsdibranchiate mollusk
  • Specialized
9.9

A sea animal like a squid or octopus that has two gills

does not contrast with four gills and instead lists common examples
dibranch
vsdibranchiate mollusk
  • Specialized
9.9

A sea animal like a squid or octopus that has two gills

describes them by common examples rather than formal subclass membership

Surface Forms

dibranchiate mollusk singular
dibranchiate mollusks plural

Morphology

dibranchiate + mollusk

The phrase is directly compositional: 'dibranchiate' (having two gills) modifies 'mollusk' (a soft-bodied invertebrate), so the meaning 'mollusk with two gills' follows straightforwardly from the constituents. This adjective+noun pattern is a regular morphological composition found cross-linguistically, so a learner who knows both words can reliably infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Dibranchiate mollusk comes from two old parts: di- meaning 'two' and branchia meaning 'gill', so it literally names a mollusk with two gills. That's why the term refers to animals like squids and octopuses that have two 'gills'.