osculum
9.9
A large opening in a sponge where water flows out
- noun
- /ˈɑːskjʊləm/
- Specialized
:
osculo
- The large osculum at the top of the sponge allows it to expel excess water efficiently.
Examples
-
This motion creates a vacuum that sucks water into the chambers and expels it through the osculum at the top.
Academic text (1998) -
Water flows out of the sponge through the osculum, creating a steady current in the surrounding sea.
-
Each sponge has an osculum that serves as an exit point for water after it has been filtered.
Synonyms
mouth
vsosculum
169
3.1
The place where a river enters the sea or a lake
is the specific biological exit on a sponge used for water
24
7.5
An opening that leads into a space inside the body or a pipe
is an outward sponge exit rather than an inward cavity entrance
1
9.9
A mouthlike opening in a living body that lets water or food pass
is the specific large sponge exit used to push water out
How Big
Surface Forms
Etymology
Osculum comes from the Latin os meaning 'mouth' and the small ending -culum, so it literally means 'little mouth'. That's why a sponge's osculum is the 'mouth-like' opening where water leaves.