peristome Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun (botany) fringe of toothlike appendages surrounding the mouth of a moss capsule
  2. noun region around the mouth in various invertebrates

WordNet

Per"i*stome noun
Etymology
Pref. peri- + Gr. , , mouth.
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) The fringe of teeth around the orifice of the capsule of mosses. It consists of 4, 8, 16, 32, or 64 teeth, and may be either single or double.
  2. (Zoöl.) (a) The lip, or edge of the aperture, of a spiral shell. (b) The membrane surrounding the mouth of an invertebrate animal.

Webster 1913