Amphipoda

plural noun

Am·​phip·​o·​da
amˈfipədə
: a large group, usually an order, of malacostracan crustaceans (division Peracarida) comprising the beach fleas and related forms; being mostly of small size with laterally compressed body, four anterior pairs of thoracic limbs directed forward, and three posterior pairs directed backward and upward, the thoracic limbs bearing gills; being usually aquatic in fresh or salt water, and a few (as the whale louse) being parasitic

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from amphi- + -poda

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Amphipoda was in 1817

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Cite this Entry

“Amphipoda.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Amphipoda. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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