ctenidium

C3T1E1N1I1D2I1U1M3

noun

A respiratory system, in the form of a comb, in some molluscs

OriginMedieval Greek κτενίδιον →
Scrabble 14
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounctenidium (plural ctenidia)

plural ctenidia

  1. biologyA respiratory system, in the form of a comb, in some molluscs
  2. biologyA row of spines in some insects

Origin

  1. Medieval Greekκτενίδιον“comb”
  2. Englishctenidium

Borrowed from Medieval Greek κτενίδιον (ktenídion, “comb”). By surface analysis, cteno- + -idium.

More words from Medieval Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ctenidium. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ctenidium

MLA

“ctenidium.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ctenidium. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ctenidium,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ctenidium.

Source: ctenidium on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.