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ForThe Crayfish, by T. H. Huxley, 1879


THIS GLOSSARY IS NOT PART OF HUXLEY'S ORIGINAL TEXT.

This glossary has been added to the online edition in order to make it more accessible to modern readers using the text as an introduction to zoology. The entries here were written by a non-expert in crustaceans. Please email any corrections or additions.

Glossary


[A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y] [Z]



A

abdomen
back division of body, with apparatus of digestion (belly)
adhesion
becoming or being fixed; normally separate parts are joined together
aeration
letting air or gas (oxygen) into a liquid
allusion
indirect mention
ambulatory
walking
amiss
wrong
amputation
cut off (part of the body)
anatomically
structural as opposed to functional
animal
being of the kingdom Animalia, not a plant, typically having power of locomotion, fixed structure, limited growth, and nonphotosynthethic metabolism
annual
yearly; done every year
antenna
one of pair of jointed, flexible sensory appendages on head of crustacean or insect
antennule
small antenna
anterior
toward the front
aperture
hole, gap, slit, or other opening
apparatus
a machine; group of organs with a collective function
appellation
a name or title
appendage
part or organ joined to the body of an animal; limb
aquatic
living in or growing in or on the water
arrest
to stop the motion
articulation
a joint between movable parts of an animal
ascertain
to discover through examination or experimentation
averred
said, affirmed, declared in a positive way

B

basal
part closest to the body
binomial
two names (genus first, species second)
biology
science of living organisms, plants and animals
botany
biological science of plants
branchiae
gills or similar breathing organs
branchial cavity
space enclosing gills
branchiostegite
covering (roof) for gills
burrow
hole or tunnel dug in ground for home

C

calcareous
chalky, composed of limestone, calcium carbonate, or calcium
calcified
made stony by deposition of calcium salts
cannibalism
animal feeding on others of the same kind
carapace
hard, chitinous or bony outer, covering of the head and thorax
carbonate of lime
calcium oxide salts
carbonic acid
carbon dioxide
carrion
dead and decaying flesh
cavity
hollow or hole in solid body
cephalothorax
anterior section of crustacean, with fused head and thorax
cervical
neck
chelae
pincerlike claws of a crustacean
chitinous
semitransparent horny substance composing shell
claw
limb terminating in a sharp, often curved pincerlike structure
cleft
divided, split, a crack, crevice, or split
coagulated
transformed from liquid into a solid mass
commencing
beginning, starting
concave
curved like the inner surface of a sphere
constitution
make-up or structure
contradistinction
opposing or contrasting qualities
Continent
Europe proper (without British Isles)
convex
curved like the outer surface of a sphere
coral
unfertilized eggs of crayfish that turn a red color when cooked; stony substance secreted by colonial marine animals, often reddish
cosmopolitan
common to the whole world
crabs'-eyes
crustacean, mostly marine, with five pairs of legs
crayfish
freshwater crustacean of genera Astacus and Cambarus, resembling very small lobster
Crustacea
class of animal with hard crust or shell, segmented body, chitinous exoskeleton, and paired, jointed legs
cumbrous
annoying, cumbersome
cursory
short, hasty, not thoroughly done
cuticular layer
noncellular, often horny, protective outer covering, over epidermis or skin proper

D

decipher
read or interpret, from code into plain text
despise
regard as worthless or trivial; look down on
dictum
a saying
disengaged
released from something that entangles or holds fast
dissolve
to mix or pass into solution
distended
swelled out, stretched in all directions
domestic
tame, household
dorsal
of, toward, in, on, or near the back
duct
tube through which fluid passes

E

ecdysis
shedding or stripping of outer layer
egress
exit, going out
endoskeleton
internal supporting bone framework of vertebrates
ensuing
resulting, consequence
epidermis
outer protective layer of skin
etymology
historical origin of word
exoskeleton
external, outside protective or supporting structure of invertebrate
expediency
appropriate for the purpose at hand
external
outside
extremity
bodily limb or appendage; the farthest point or degree
extrusion
pushed or thrust out; projection
exuviation
shed or cast off covering
eye-stalk
movable thin structure bearing the eye at the end

F

fatal
causing or capable of causing death
fecundating
fertilizing, impregnating, making fruitful
feeler
sensory or tactile organ such as antenna
filament
thread-like body
fissures
narrow grooves dividing organ into parts; deep cracks
flank
side; section of body between last rib and hip
fluviatile
river-dwelling (from flowing)
forceps
pincerlike grasping or clasping organ; like tongs
forsake
leave, give up, renouce, abandon
fossil
trace or remnant of organism from past geological age, embedded in rock or earth
function
action for which something is particularly fitted

G

gastrolith
small stony mass formed in the stomach
gills
respiratory organ, featherlike structure for getting oxygen from water into blood

H

hatch
come out of an egg
hemorrhage
bleeding, especially large amount
herbage
plant growth
hinder
farthest to the rear, last
hue
particular color, shade
hybernate
pass the winter in an inactive, sleepy state (spelled "hibernate" now)

I

ichor
watery fluid
idola
something visible but without substance; idols
impregnated
to make pregnant, fertilize egg with sperm
indolence
laziness, inactivity
inflicted
caused or carried out
ingress
entrance, way in
inhabitant
permanent resident, one who lives there all the time
insensibly
imperceptibly; change so small it is not noticed
integument
skin, outer covering
interior
inside, inner, within
interstitial
of or occurring in small or narrow spaces between things
intolerant
not able to stand or endure
invertebrate
not having a backbone or spinal column
investment
outer covering, clothes, garment

J

joint
point of connection between movable parts

K

L

laminated
composed of thin layers or sheets bound together
lenticular
shaped like a lens, convex on both sides
limb
a jointed appendage used for locomotion or grasping; leg
lobster
marine invertebrate of or related to genus Homarus, with five pairs of legs; usually first pair is large claws
locomotion
act of moving from place to place
longevity
long length of life
longitudinally
lengthwise, along the length not the width of something

M

mandible
jaw part or lower jaw
manducation
act of eating, chewing
marine
of the sea, salt water
maturity
fully grown, ripeness
maxilla
jaw part, upper jaw in vertebrates
maxillipede
one of three pairs of crustacean head appendages located just behind maxillae
metamorphosis
change in structure of animal as part of normal growth; transformation
minute
very small
moieties
halves; parts, portions, or shares
mole
small burrowing, insectivorous mammal
monstrosities
abnormal; deviating greatly from average in structure; hideous
moult
to shed, cast off, old covering and replace with new (British spelling of "molt")

N

natural history
study of organisms in natural life, descriptions of origin and interrelationships
naturalist
one skilled in natural history
nocturnal
active at night
nomenclature
system of names

O

organ
part of an organism specialized for a particular function

P

partaking
taking part, participating
patent
expanded, spreading open
peaty
matter found in peat bogs, usually decomposed mosses
pedicles
small stalks (also, "pedicel")
periphrase
talking around; circumlocution; using other, more words
perpetuated
cause to exist for a long time
phosphate of lime
calcium phosphate (?)
pincer
articulated, grasping claw; jaws working together in opposition
plant
organism of the vegetable kingdom, unable to move itself around
plume
feather or feather-like structure
prehension
act of grasping or holding
prodigious
great in size
prostrate
lying down flat, exhausted
putrifying
rotten, decomposing, decaying, foul-smelling

Q

R

ratiocination
reasoning logically and methodically
recondite
not easily understood, abstruse
reproduction
process by which living things make others of the same kind
respiratory
breathing; organs that bring in oxygen and release waste carbon dioxide
retraction
drawing back (inside)
retrograde
backwards, reverse
rivulet
small stream of water
rudimentary
elementary, incompletely developed

S

sac
a pouch or bag-like structure, sometimes holding fluid
science
methodological study, observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of natural phenomena
segmented
clearly divided into parts
specimen
a sample, an individual taken as representative of the rest
sternal
pertaining to the sternum, the bone in man in the front, between the ribs
stone, the
blockage of the urine by a mineral mass in the kidney
stonewort
green algae often covered by calcium carbonate deposits
style
slender, tubular, bristlelike process
subserve
to be useful to, serve some purpose
substantive
a noun; acutal thing
succulent
full of juice
swimmeret
one of paired appendages on abdomen used for locomotion or respiration

T

telson
middle lobe of the tail fin
terminal
at the end, last
terminates
ends; comes to or having as an end
terrestrial
living on land, not aquatic
thorax
part of animal that corresponds to chest in man
torpor
inactivity, lethargy, not feeling
transverse
lying across, from side to side
turpitude
bad, shameful act

U

unfathomable
cannot be understood or measured
unwonted
unusual; not accustomed to; not ordinary
utilitarian
advocate of a philosophy that advocates the greatest good for the greatest number (Bentham, Mill)

V

vent
exit, opening for liquid; anal excretory hole
ventral
abdominal, the belly side, lower side
vernacular
common language of a country, not technical or literary
vertebrate
having a backbone or spinal column
viscid
thick, sticky, adhesive liquid
vole
rodent like a mouse but with a short tail

W

waistcoat
British word for vest, clothing worn under coat
want
lack; being deprived of but needing
watch glass
shallow glass dish used to evaporate liquids, like the glass piece covering a pocket watch

X

Y

Z

zoology
biological science of animals



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