geoduck

geoduck
/gooh"ee duk'/, n.
a very large edible clam, Panope generosa, of the NW coast of the U.S. Also called gweduc.
[1880-85, Amer.; < Puget Salish gwídaq]

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Marine bivalve (Panopea generosa) that inhabits the intertidal zone of the Pacific coast from southern Alaska to Baja California.

It is the largest known burrowing bivalve, with a shell about 7–9 in. (18–23 cm) long and siphons that extend up to about 4 ft (1.3 m). It may weigh as much as 8 lbs (3.6 kg). Though highly prized for food, it lives in deep burrows and is difficult to dig out (the name probably derives from an Indian phrase meaning "dig deep"). Similar species are found in other parts of the world.

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      (species Panopea generosa), marine invertebrate of the class Bivalvia (phylum Mollusca) that inhabits the sandy muds of the intertidal and shallow sublittoral zones of the Pacific coast of North America from southern Alaska to Baja California. The geoduck is the largest known burrowing bivalve. Its gaping shell reaches about 180–230 mm (7–9 inches) in length, but the siphons, which cannot be retracted into the shell, may extend up to 1.3 m (about 4 feet). The clam, including the shell, may weigh as much as 3.6 kg (8 pounds). The geoduck is highly prized for food, but inhabits deep burrows and is difficult to dig out. The name is probably derived from a Nisqually Indian phrase meaning “dig deep.” Several species similar to the Pacific geoduck occur in other parts of the world. Panopea bitruncata, for example, is found from the coast of North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Geoduck — Four live geoducks in a seafood tank Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia …   Wikipedia

  • Geoduck — Ge o*duck, n. [American Indian name.] (Zo[ o]l.) A gigantic clam ({Glycimeris generosa}) of the Pacific coast of North America, highly valued as an article of food. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • geoduck — edible Pacific clam, 1883, perhaps from some American Indian word …   Etymology dictionary

  • geoduck — ☆ geoduck [go͞o′ē duk΄ ] n. [< AmInd (Chinook) name] a very large, burrowing, edible clam (Panope generosa) of intertidal beaches of W North America …   English World dictionary

  • Geoduck — Elefantenrüsselmuschel Elefantenrüsselmuschel (Panopea abrupta) Systematik Überordnung: Heterodonta Ordnung …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • geoduck — noun Etymology: Lushootseed (Salishan language of the Puget Sound region) gwídəq Date: 1883 a large edible clam (Panopea abrupta syn. P. generosa) of the Pacific coast that usually weighs two to three pounds (about one kilogram) but may attain a… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • geoduck — noun A species of large saltwater clam, native to the North American Pacific Northwest, Washington to Alaska, known as Panopea abrupta or Panope generosa, in the family Hiatellidae. Syn: king clam, elephant trunk clam, mirugai, mirukuigai …   Wiktionary

  • geoduck — [ dʒi:əʊdʌk] noun a giant mud burrowing bivalve mollusc found on the west coast of North America. [Panopea generosa.] Origin C19: from Chinook Jargon …   English new terms dictionary

  • geoduck — geo·duck …   English syllables

  • geoduck — ge•o•duck [[t]ˈgu iˌdʌk[/t]] n. ivt a large edible clam, Panope generosa, of the NW coast of North America • Etymology: 1880–85; < Puget Salish gwídəq …   From formal English to slang

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