a. [ Gr. &unr_; gill + &unr_; to cover: cf. F. branchiostège. ] (Anat.) Pertaining to the membrane covering the gills of fishes. -- n. (Anat.) A branchiostegal ray. See Illustration of Branchial arches in Appendix. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This term was formerly applied to a group of fishes having boneless branchiæ. But the arrangement was artificial, and has been rejected. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Anat.) The branchiostegal membrane. See Illustration in Appendix. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Anat.) Branchiostegal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a genus of climbing or scrambling herbs; bindweed.
Syn. -- genus Calystegia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Gastro- + Gr. &unr_; roof. ] (Zool.) One of the large scales on the belly of a serpent. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. gna`qos the jaw + &unr_; a roof. ] (Zool.) One of a pair of broad plates, developed from the outer maxillipeds of crabs, and forming a cover for the other mouth organs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Omo- + Gr. &unr_; a roof. ] (Zool.) The part of the carapace of a crustacean situated behind the cervical groove. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; + &unr_; a roof. ] (Zool.) One of the plates which in some Crustacea inclose a cavity wherein the eggs are hatched. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Icel. steggr the male of several animals. Cf. Stag. ] (Zool.) A gander. [ Written also stag. ] [ Prov. Eng. ] Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One skilled in steganography; a cryptographer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. stegano`s covered (fr. ste`gein to cover closely) + -graphy. ] 1. The art of writing in cipher, or in characters which are not intelligible except to persons who have the key; cryptography. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Specifically: The branch of cryptography in which messages are hidden inside other messages; -- used commonly for the process of hiding messages inside a computerized image file, as for example hiding the name and copyright notice of the owner of an image as protection against violation of the copyright. [ PJC ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., from Gr. stegano`s covered + 'ofqalmo`s the eye. ] (Zool.) The Discophora, or Phanerocarpae. Called also Steganophthalmia. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) One of the Steganopodes. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. stegano`poys, stegano`podos, web-footed; stegano`s covered + poy`s foot. ] (Zool.) A division of swimming birds in which all four toes are united by a broad web. It includes the pelicans, cormorants, gannets, and others. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Having all four toes webbed together. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. ste`gnwsis. See Stegnotic. ] (Med.) Constipation; also, constriction of the vessels or ducts. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. stegnwtiko`s, fr. stegnoy^n to cover, to make costive, fr. stegno`s, stegano`s, covered, closed. ] (Med.) Tending to render costive, or to diminish excretions or discharges generally. -- n. A stegnotic medicine; an astringent. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. ste`gh roof + kefalh` head. ] (Paleon.) An extinct order of amphibians found fossil in the Mesozoic rocks; called also Stegocephali, and Labyrinthodonta. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Their teeth, in transverse sections, usually show a labyrinthiform arrangement of the cement and dentine. The under side of the body was covered with bony plates. Some of the Stegocephala were of very large size, and the form of the body varied from short, stout forms to others that were as slender as serpents. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. See Stegosaurus. ] (Paleon.) An extinct order of herbivorous dinosaurs, including the genera Stegosaurus, Omosaurus, and their allies. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. ste`gh roof + say^ros a lizard. ] (Paleon.) A genus of large Jurassic dinosaurs remarkable for a powerful dermal armature of plates and spines. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 2d uro- + Gr. &unr_; roof. ] (Zool.) One of the plates on the under side of the tail of a serpent. [ 1913 Webster ]