preopercle
|pre-o-per-cle|
🇺🇸
/ˌpriːoʊˈpɜrkəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌpriːəˈpɜːk(ə)l/
bone before the gill cover
Etymology
'preopercle' originates from the prefix 'pre-' (from Latin 'prae', meaning 'before') combined with 'opercle', ultimately from Latin 'operculum' meaning 'little lid'.
'operculum' in Latin (meaning 'small lid') entered New Latin and scientific usage as 'opercle'/'operculum' for gill covers; scholars later formed 'preopercle' in modern English by prefixing 'pre-' to indicate the bone located before the operculum, a formation that became established in 19th-century ichthyological literature.
Originally 'operculum' meant 'a small lid' in Latin; over time the term was specialized in anatomy to refer to the gill cover, and 'preopercle' came to denote the specific bone lying in front of that cover.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
in ichthyology, a bony plate or bone at the rear edge of the cheek region in bony fishes, located anterior to the operculum (gill cover); often bearing serrations or spines.
The preopercle of the specimen showed distinct serrations along its posterior margin.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/04 11:35