monoplacophoran

M3O1N1O1P3L1A1C3O1P3H4O1R1A1N1
UK/mɒnə(ʊ)pləˈkɒfəɹən/

noun

Any member of the superclass Monoplacophora, comprising molluscs with cap-like shells.

First used 20th c.Scrabble 26
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Meanings

nounmonoplacophoran (plural monoplacophorans)

plural monoplacophorans

  1. biologyAny member of the superclass Monoplacophora, comprising molluscs with cap-like shells.First known use 20th c.

    The crabbed limpet-like shellfish is a monoplacophoran.

    2016, Peter Godfrey-Smith, Other Minds, William Collins, published 2018, page 49
    2 more examples

    Unique among mollusks, monoplacophorans turned out to have multiple repeating sets of shell-attachment muscles, kidneys, and gills.

    2017, Danna Staaf, Squid Empire, ForeEdge, →ISBN, page 34

    Monoplacophorans are an extremely ancient type of mollusc, the oldest known from the fossil record.

    2022, Thomas Halliday, Otherlands, Penguin, published 2023, page 229

Origin

From translingual Monoplacophora + -an.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

monoplacophoran. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monoplacophoran

MLA

“monoplacophoran.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monoplacophoran. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “monoplacophoran,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monoplacophoran.

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