multivalve
- noun
- Specialized
:
multivalva
- Some seed capsules are classified as multivalves because they split into several sections.
Examples
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The shell of this ancient mollusk is a classic example of a multivalve structure.
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The multivalve shell of the clam protects it from predators.
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The scientist examined a rare multivalve collected from the deep sea.
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Many multivalves can be found in coastal waters.
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The shell of this ancient mollusk is a classic example of a multivalve structure.
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The scientist examined a rare multivalve collected from the deep sea.
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The multivalve shell of the clam protects it from predators.
How Shelled
Surface Forms
Morphology
multivalve = multivalve (transparent) = multi + valve
The noun sense is built from the same adjective form and still means 'having multiple valves', so the relationship is direct.
Etymology
The word multivalve joins multi- 'many' and valve 'a plate or section that opens'. Picture a shell or seed pod that splits into several hinged plates, and that is why the word is used for organisms or structures made of many sections.