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Glite Dictionary
🐌 Having one shell 🐌 A one-shelled mollusk
univalve

univalve

9.4
An animal with a single shell like a snail
  • noun
  • /ˈjuːnɪˌvælv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : univalvo
  • While exploring the tide pools, we found a beautiful univalve nestled among the seaweed.

Examples

  • This univalve bonds tightly to the shell and rarely moves; over time, the crab ends up with a stack of many generations of slipper shells.

    Academic text (2002)

  • The univalve attached itself to the rock, its smooth shell shining in the sunlight.

  • This species of univalve is known for its ability to thrive in shallow coastal waters.

Synonyms

gastropod
vsunivalve
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A soft-bodied animal like a snail with one shell and a strong foot for moving

focuses on the shell being a single piece rather than class traits

How Many Valves

multivalve
  • Specialized
9.4
bivalve
7.9
univalve
  • Specialized
9.4

Surface Forms

univalve singular
univalves plural

Morphology

univalve = valve (semi-transparent) = uni + valve

The morphological composition 'uni-' + 'valve' is regular, but the zoological meaning relies on specialist knowledge of 'valve' as a shell element.

Etymology

The word univalve comes from uni- 'one', as in unicorn, and valve 'folding door', so it names a mollusk with a single shell piece. That's why a garden snail is a univalve, not a bivalve, which means 'two'.