n.
Pronunciation: ' äs-tr ə - ˌ käd
Variant: also os · tra · code \ - ˌ k ō d \
Function: noun
Etymology: ultimately from Greek ostrakon
Date: 1865
: any of a subclass (Ostracoda) of very small aquatic crustaceans that have the body enclosed in a bivalve carapace, the body segmentation obscured, the abdomen rudimentary, and only seven pairs of appendages