noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈbaɪvælv/
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:B AY1 V AE2 L V
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Any mollusc belonging to the taxonomic class Bivalvia, characterized by a shell consisting of two hinged sections, such as a scallop, clam, mussel or oyster.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A pericarp in which the seedcase opens or splits into two parts or valves.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective
Meaning 3
used of mollusks having two shells (as clams etc.)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bivalved
Antonyms: univalve
4
noun
Meaning 4
marine or freshwater mollusks having a soft body with platelike gills enclosed within two shells hinged together
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Italic *dwi- Latin bi-bor. English bi- English valve English bivalve From bi- (“two”) + valve.
Across languages
Translations
29 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
ми́да
(mída)
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Catalan:
bivalve
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Czech:
mlž
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Finnish:
simpukka
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
French:
bivalve
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Galician:
bivalvo
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Ancient Greek:
ὄστρεον
(óstreon)
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Irish:
débhlaoscach
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Irish:
déchomhlach
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Italian:
bivalve
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Japanese:
二枚貝
(nimaigai)
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Latin:
concha
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Malay:
dwicangkerang
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Malayalam:
ഇരട്ടക്കവച
(iraṭṭakkavaca)
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Māori:
angarua
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Navajo:
chʼosh bitsʼaʼígíí
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Polish:
małż
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Portuguese:
bivalve
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Portuguese:
bivalvo
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Russian:
двуство́рчатый
(dvustvórčatyj)
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Scottish Gaelic:
dà-mhogallach
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Serbo-Croatian:
шко̀љка̄ш
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Serbo-Croatian:
škòljkāš
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Spanish:
bivalvo
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Swedish:
mussla
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Tagalog:
almeha
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Thai:
หอยสองฝา
(hɔ̌i-sɔ̌ɔng-fǎa)
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Vietnamese:
thân mềm hai mảnh vỏ
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
Vietnamese:
nhuyễn thể hai mảnh vỏ
— any mollusc of taxonomic class Bivalvia
