ǁ Ctenidium. World English Historical Dictionary

ǁ Ctenidium. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Contents Slice Contents Key Bibliographic Record Murray’s New English Dictionary. 1893, rev. 2025. ǁ Ctenidium

Zool. [mod.L., a. Gr. κτενἰδιον, dim. of κτεν-(κτείς) a comb.] Each of the respiratory organs or gills of Mollusca, consisting of an axis with a series of processes on each side like the teeth of a comb.

1

1883.  Ray Lankester, in Encycl. Brit., XVI. 636/1. (Mollusca) These are the ctenidia or gill-combs. Usually … they play the part of gills, but since in many Molluscs (Lamellibranchs) their function is not mainly respiratory … it is well … to give them a non-physiological name such as that here proposed.

2

1888.  Rolleston & Jackson, Anim. Life, 450. In the majority of Gastropoda the primitive left ctenidium is aborted.

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