n. Any of various aquatic crustaceans of the class Branchiopoda, such as the fairy shrimp and the water flea, characterized by a segmented body and flattened, leaflike thoracic appendages. [From New Latin Branchiopoda, class name : Latin branchia, gills; see BRANCHIA + New Latin -poda, -pod.] branchi·o·pod′ adj. |
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