1. plural of isopod; small crustaceans with flattened bodies, seven pairs of legs, and no carapace, found in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments
Usage: biology/zoology term; always plural in this form

Examples

• Isopods are common in tide pools along the rocky coast.
• The biology class observed isopods under the microscope to study their segmented bodies.
• Pill bugs are actually isopods that have adapted to life on land.
• Marine isopods play an important role in breaking down dead organic matter on the ocean floor.
• Gardeners sometimes find isopods in damp soil beneath logs and leaf litter.
• Scientists use isopods as model organisms to study crustacean development.