† phociformadj.
Origin: A borrowing from Latin, combined with an English element. Etymons: Latin phōca , -iform comb. form.
Etymology: < classical Latin phōca seal (see phoca n.) + -iform comb. form.
Zoology.
Obsolete.
rare. Apparently only attested in dictionaries or glossaries.
1890 4449/1 Phociform, resembling a seal in structure; having the form or characters of the Phocidæ.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2006; most recently modified version published online June 2021).