Lexic.us

Definition of Mollusca

1. Noun. Gastropods; bivalves; cephalopods; chitons.

Definition of Mollusca

1. n. pl. One of the grand divisions of the animal kingdom, including the classes Cephalopoda, Gastropoda, Pteropoda, Scaphopoda, and Lamellibranchiata, or Conchifera. These animals have an unsegmented bilateral body, with most of the organs and parts paired, but not repeated longitudinally. Most of them develop a mantle, which incloses either a branchial or a pulmonary cavity. They are generally more or less covered and protected by a calcareous shell, which may be univalve, bivalve, or multivalve.

Definition of Mollusca

1. molluscum [n] - See also: molluscum

Medical Definition of Mollusca

1. One of the grand divisions of the animal kingdom, including the classes Cephalopoda, Gastropoda, PteropodaScaphopoda, and Lamellibranchiata, or Conchifera. These animals have an unsegmented bilateral body, with most of the organs and parts paired, but not repeated longitudinally. Most of them develop a mantle, which incloses either a branchial or a pulmonary cavity. They are generally more or less covered and protected by a calcareous shell, which may be univalve, bivalve, or multivalve. Formerly the Brachiopoda, Bryzoa, and Tunicata were united with the Lamellibranchiata in an artificial group called Acephala, which was also included under Mollusca. See Molluscoudea. (19 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Mollusca

Literary usage of Mollusca

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General by Thomas Spencer Baynes (1888)
"Gradually, however, the term mollusca became used to include those mollusca ... The definite erection of the mollusca into the position of one of the great ..."

2. The Cambridge Natural History by Arthur Everett Shipley, Sidney Frederic Harmer (1895)
"There is therefore a marked contrast between the mollusca of the tropics and of ... The mollusca, for instance, of Australia or of South Africa characterise ..."

3. International Catalogue of Scientific Literature by Royal Society (Great Britain) (1906)
"The published records of the land and freshwater mollusca of the East Riding, with additions. ... Rare or local Irish land and fresh-water mollusca. 408. ..."

4. History of Geology and Palæontology to the End of the Nineteenth Century by Karl Alfred von Zittel (1901)
"The authors who have contributed most to our knowledge of Palaeozoic mollusca are Phillips, MacCoy, Salter, Hall, Billings, Whitfield, Seebach, Barrande, ..."

5. Nature by Norman Lockyer (1877)
"A glance at the above list, and, much more, an inspection of the chalk mollusca in a good collection, ought to convince any conchologist that all these ..."

6. Dictionary of National Biography by LESLIE. STEPHEN (1889)
"Besides making antiquarian discoveries Forbes made great collections of land and fresh-water mollusca, and of plante, and ascertained the main features of ..."

7. Fresh-water Biology by Henry Baldwin Ward, George Chandler Whipple (1918)
"In the univalve mollusca or Gastropoda, commonly called snails, ... The bivalve mollusca or Lamellibranchia, usually known as clams or mussels, ..."

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