operculum

About 0.27 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. noun A covering flap in animals and insects, such as a gill cover or the lid of nits.
2. noun The lidlike portion of a moss sporangium or of a fruit that detaches to allow the dispersal of spores or seeds.
3. noun A gum flap covering (part of) a partially erupted tooth, usually a wisdom tooth.
4. noun A structure which serves as a cover or lid.
5. noun One of several flaps of cerebral cortex covering the insula. (clarification of this definition is needed)

Similar words

paucispiral horny calcareous opercule gill cover opercle suboperculum praeoperculum operculate gill

Often followed by

is and of in with or to has horny

Word family

opercula operculums