noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A median elevation behind the mouth in the arthropods.
2. 2
   A ventral single plate located in the opisthosoma of some non-arachnid chelicerates in the extinct genus Houia which is involved in feeding and manipulating food.
3. 3
   A structure found in some mosses and liverworts that covers the mouth of the capsule from which spores are released.

Etymology

From meta- (“behind”) + στόμα (stóma, “mouth”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.