metastoma en · NOUN
Etymology
From meta- (“behind”) + στόμα (stóma, “mouth”).
Meanings
- A median elevation behind the mouth in the arthropods.
- 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.
- A structure found in some mosses and liverworts that covers the mouth of the capsule from which spores are released.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| metastomas | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| metastomata | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| metastome | alternative | lexicographic |