Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A glandular swelling of the epidermis of certain annelid worms, such as earthworms, that secretes a viscous fluid to form a cocoon in which the eggs are deposited.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In zoology, the saddle of an annelid, as the earthworm; a peculiar glandular ring around the body, resulting from the swelling and other modification of certain segments.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun biology A
glandular swelling in theepidermis of someannelid worms ; it secretes a viscous fluid in which theeggs are deposited.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[New Latin clītellum, sing. of Latin clītellae, packsaddle; see klei- in Indo-European roots.]
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Examples
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And their clitellum, a smooth band that all worms have, is in a different location.
NYT > Home Page By JIM ROBBINS 2010
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And their clitellum, a smooth band that all worms have, is in a different location.
NYT > Home Page By JIM ROBBINS 2010
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Let us be like that famous Don Juan of the animal kingdom, the ten-hearted earthworm, and cultivate as many loves as our biology (or clockworks) will allow - then secrete a viscid egg sac into our clitellum and slide that junk right off our segmented, slithery body.
Wondermark David Malki ! 2010
chained_bear commented on the word clitellum
OED: "The raised band encircling the body of earth-worms towards the middle."
October 15, 2008