n.
Pronunciation: mär- ' sü-p ē - ə m
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -pia \ -p ē - ə \
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, purse, pouch, from Greek marsypion
Date: 1698
1 : an abdominal pouch that is formed of a fold of the skin and encloses the mammary glands of most marsupials
2 : any of several structures in various invertebrates (as a bryozoan or mollusk) for enclosing or carrying eggs or young