Foraminifera definitions and example sentences on Wordnik

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Known generally as foraminifera, these ancient organisms have a beautiful calcium carbonate shell that can be chemically analyzed to map out the Earth's sea level, temperature, and ice volume during their lives millions of years ago.

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Definitions (2)

American Heritage Dictionary

Century Dictionary

GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

An extensive order of rhizopods which generally have a chambered calcareous shell formed by several united zooids. Many of them have perforated walls, whence the name. Some species are covered with sand. See Rhizophoda.

WordNet (1)

foraminifers

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Examples (50)

The ocean-bed sediment contains varying amounts of tiny sea-shells, fossil remains of the foraminifera (tiny one-celled animals) that live largely on the oceans' surface. — August, 1953
The shells of tiny ocean animals known as foraminifera-specifically — Scientific American
Then there are the foraminifera (forams for short, pictured below), with their chambered shells made of calcite.
Although incredibly small, the tiny foraminifera are vital. — Mongabay.com News
Known generally as foraminifera, these ancient organisms have a beautiful calcium carbonate shell that can be chemically analyzed to map out the Earth's sea level, temperature, and ice volume during their lives millions of years ago. — PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories