# metastoma

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A median elevation behind the mouth in the arthropods.
2. A ventral single plate located in the opisthosoma of some non-arachnid chelicerates in the extinct genus Houia which is involved in feeding and manipulating food.
3. A structure found in some mosses and liverworts that covers the mouth of the capsule from which spores are released.

## Etymology
From meta- (“behind”) + στόμα (stóma, “mouth”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/metastoma