nectosomen.
/ˈnɛktə(ʊ)səʊm/, U.S. /ˈnɛktoʊˌsoʊm/ Zoology.
The upper portion of a siphonophore, bearing nectophores.
ΚΠ
1890 Cent. Dict. Nectosome, the upper or proximal portion of a siphonous stock modified for swimming: contradistinguished from siphosome, which is the nutrient portion.
1898 A. Sedgwick Student's Text-bk. Zool. I. 139 The nectosome, to which the swimming organs (nectocalyces and pneumatophores) are attached.
1964 Proc. Royal Soc. 1963–4 B. 159 371 In specimens with larger nectosomes movement is much smoother as there are usually several alternating blocks of nectophores at different levels of the column pulsating in varying combinations.
1983 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) B. 301 171 The nectosome is reduced or absent so that M. melo probably carries only a single functional nectophore.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1890