pinnothere en · NOUN
Etymology
From Latin pīnotērēs, from Ancient Greek πινοτήρης (pinotḗrēs), from Ancient Greek πίνη (pínē, “pen shell”) + Ancient Greek τηρέω (tēréō, “to guard”).
Meanings
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(obsolete) A small crab of the genus Pinnotheres, which live symbiotically in the shells of certain molluscs.
The shell-fish called a Nacre, liveth even so with the Pinnotere, which is a little creature like unto a Crabfish, and as his porter or usher waits upon him, attending the opening of the Nacre[…].
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| pinnotheres | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| pinnotere | alternative | lexicographic |