What does "ostracod" mean?

Any of many small crustaceans, of the class Ostracoda, that resemble a shrimp enclosed in a bivalve shell.

What is a synonym for "ostracod"?

Common synonyms include: seed shrimp, mussel shrimp, seed shrimp.

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
Any of many small crustaceans, of the class Ostracoda, that resemble a shrimp enclosed in a bivalve shell.
"Considering all the ecological data, there seems to be an evolution in the associations of ostracods throughout time."
2
tiny marine and freshwater crustaceans with a shrimp-like body enclosed in a bivalve shell wordnet

"Considering all the ecological data, there seems to be an evolution in the associations of ostracods throughout time."

From Ancient Greek ὀστρακώδης (ostrakṓdēs, “covered with shell”), from ὄστρακον (óstrakon, “clay pot; shell”); compare translingual Ostracoda.

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