FORAMINIFER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does foraminifer mean? 

• FORAMINIFER (noun)
  The noun FORAMINIFER has 1 sense:

1. marine microorganism having a calcareous shell with openings where pseudopods protrude

  Familiarity information: FORAMINIFER used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FORAMINIFER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Marine microorganism having a calcareous shell with openings where pseudopods protrude

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

foram; foraminifer

Hypernyms ("foraminifer" is a kind of...):

rhizopod; rhizopodan (protozoa characterized by a pseudopod)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "foraminifer"):

globigerina (marine protozoan having a rounded shell with spiny processes)

nummulite (large fossil protozoan of the Tertiary period)

Holonyms ("foraminifer" is a member of...):

Foraminifera; order Foraminifera (foraminifers)

 Context examples 

The skeletons of planktonic foraminifers are preserved in large numbers in deep-sea sediments, providing a rich fossil record of the environmental conditions of the upper ocean.

(Planktonic Foraminifera, NOAA Paleoclimate Glossary)

The skeletons of benthic foraminifers are often preserved in ocean sediments, providing a rich fossil record of the environmental conditions of the lake.

(Benthic Foraminifera, NOAA Paleoclimate Glossary)