noun
- a lid-like covering or flap, especially in biological structures
Usage: biological; technical
Examples
- The fish’s opercule protects its delicate gills from damage.
- Marine biologists studied the opercule structure in various fish species.
- The opercule opens and closes as the fish breathes underwater.
- Each gill chamber is covered by a bony opercule.
- The researcher carefully examined the opercule under a microscope.
- Damage to the opercule can affect a fish’s ability to breathe properly.