bivalve
1 of 2adjective
bi·valve ˈbī-ˌvalv 
: being or having a shell composed of two valves
bivalve
2 of 2noun
: any of a class (Bivalvia synonym Pelecypoda) of typically marine mollusks (such as clams, oysters, or scallops) that have a 2-valved hinged shell, are usually filter feeders, and lack a distinct head
Example Sentences
Noun clams, mussels, oysters, and other bivalves
Recent Examples on the Web
BostonGlobe.com, 10 Oct. 2019 Deep-sea wood borers (Xylophaga, a genus of bivalve mollusks) take over where shallow water gribbles and shipworms left off. Brian Payton, Smithsonian, 9 Feb. 2018 In 2005, the oyster as aphrodisiac got a big boost as many consumer publications reported that bivalve mollusks (which include clams, oysters, mussels and scallops) had been found to have desire-inducing properties. Alicia Ault, Smithsonian, 13 Feb. 2017 While the lyric connotes cozy relations between the famously fertile shellfish of this bivalve capital, feelings among shellfishermen themselves are decidedly less friendly. Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 30 June 2017 In 2005, the oyster as aphrodisiac got a big boost as many consumer publications reported that bivalve mollusks (which include clams, oysters, mussels and scallops) had been found to have desire-inducing properties. Alicia Ault, Smithsonian, 13 Feb. 2017 Katherine Rapin, WIRED, 27 Aug. 2022 Maine’s coastline, crenellated with deep estuaries and bays fed by rivers mixing with cold ocean water that pumps nutrients up from below, may seem like a bivalve paradise. Ellen Ruppel Shell, Scientific American, 1 May 2022 Today, places that were once rich in oyster beds like the Chesapeake Bay on the US East Coast, San Francisco Bay, and Botany Bay near Sydney, populations of the bivalve have been decimated. Katie Hunt, CNN, 3 May 2022 Mook found a way to buffer seawater to protect the oysters growing in the indoor hatchery, a remarkable innovation that—though highly labor-intensive—may well catch on with other Maine bivalve farmers if acid levels continue to rise. Ellen Ruppel Shell, Scientific American, 1 May 2022 Biologists believe this cancer is one of the most lethal diseases among bivalve mollusks like quagga mussels. Lindsey Botts, The Arizona Republic, 25 Apr. 2022 Why should this helpless bivalve — captive in its shell until pried open and steamed, baked, minced, stuffed, and casinoed by humans — be happy? Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2022 Using the extremely high-definition photography, the team also detected bivalve fossil fragments in the statue of the same type found in oolite limestone from northern Italy, according to Live Science. David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Mar. 2022 Six scalloped, bivalve shells consorted wordlessly beneath a tiny makeshift pergola, its posts and trelliswork wrought from twigs. Laura Bannister, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2022 See More
Adjective
The town’s big, bivalve-themed bash, Wellfleet Oyster Fest, happens annually on the weekend after Columbus Day (Oct. 19 and 20 this year) along Main Street. BostonGlobe.com, 10 Oct. 2019 Deep-sea wood borers (Xylophaga, a genus of bivalve mollusks) take over where shallow water gribbles and shipworms left off. Brian Payton, Smithsonian, 9 Feb. 2018 In 2005, the oyster as aphrodisiac got a big boost as many consumer publications reported that bivalve mollusks (which include clams, oysters, mussels and scallops) had been found to have desire-inducing properties. Alicia Ault, Smithsonian, 13 Feb. 2017 While the lyric connotes cozy relations between the famously fertile shellfish of this bivalve capital, feelings among shellfishermen themselves are decidedly less friendly. Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 30 June 2017 In 2005, the oyster as aphrodisiac got a big boost as many consumer publications reported that bivalve mollusks (which include clams, oysters, mussels and scallops) had been found to have desire-inducing properties. Alicia Ault, Smithsonian, 13 Feb. 2017 Noun
Healthy bivalve beds create structure that acts as a foundation for benthic habitat and holds sediment in place. Katherine Rapin, WIRED, 27 Aug. 2022 Maine’s coastline, crenellated with deep estuaries and bays fed by rivers mixing with cold ocean water that pumps nutrients up from below, may seem like a bivalve paradise. Ellen Ruppel Shell, Scientific American, 1 May 2022 Today, places that were once rich in oyster beds like the Chesapeake Bay on the US East Coast, San Francisco Bay, and Botany Bay near Sydney, populations of the bivalve have been decimated. Katie Hunt, CNN, 3 May 2022 Mook found a way to buffer seawater to protect the oysters growing in the indoor hatchery, a remarkable innovation that—though highly labor-intensive—may well catch on with other Maine bivalve farmers if acid levels continue to rise. Ellen Ruppel Shell, Scientific American, 1 May 2022 Biologists believe this cancer is one of the most lethal diseases among bivalve mollusks like quagga mussels. Lindsey Botts, The Arizona Republic, 25 Apr. 2022 Why should this helpless bivalve — captive in its shell until pried open and steamed, baked, minced, stuffed, and casinoed by humans — be happy? Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2022 Using the extremely high-definition photography, the team also detected bivalve fossil fragments in the statue of the same type found in oolite limestone from northern Italy, according to Live Science. David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Mar. 2022 Six scalloped, bivalve shells consorted wordlessly beneath a tiny makeshift pergola, its posts and trelliswork wrought from twigs. Laura Bannister, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
Adjective
1661, in the meaning defined above
Noun
1683, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
bivalve 1 of 2
adjective
bi·valve ˈbī-ˌvalv
variants also bivalved
-ˌvalvd
: having or consisting of two corresponding movable pieces suggesting the shells of mollusks
a bivalve speculum
a bivalve cast
bivalve
2 of 2transitive verb
bivalved; bivalving
: to split (a cast) along one or two sides (as to relieve pressure)