noun
- a marine invertebrate animal with a hinged shell consisting of two valves, found mostly as fossils
Usage: biology; paleontology
Examples
- The paleontologist discovered several brachiopod fossils in the limestone formation.
- Brachiopods were abundant in ancient seas but are rare today.
- The museum’s collection includes well-preserved brachiopod specimens from the Paleozoic era.
- Unlike clams, brachiopods have shells that are symmetrical along a different plane.
- Students examined brachiopod fossils to learn about ancient marine ecosystems.
- The brachiopod’s shell structure differs significantly from that of mollusks.