Tardigradan.
/ˈtɑːdᵻɡreɪdə/, U.S. /ˈtɑrdəˌɡreɪdə/ Zoology.
With plural agreement: a phylum of minute aquatic invertebrates, many of which live in the water film on the surface of mosses, characterized by a short stout body, a chitinous cuticle, and four pairs of stubby non-jointed legs bearing claws or ‘toes’. Also: animals of this phylum (collectively or individually); water bears.The taxonomic position of the Tardigrada is uncertain, but they are thought to be allied to the arthropods and were formerly regarded as a subclass of arachnids. They are noted for their ability to withstand extremes of heat, cold, and desiccation by becoming dormant.
ΚΠ
1842 Microsc. Jrnl. & Struct. Rec. 253 It is sufficient to observe, that living Tardigrada are never found in the dry dust of gutters.
1861 H. J. Slack Marv. Pond-life 23 Last in the list we have the Tardigrada, ‘Slow-steppers,’ or Water Bears, queer little creatures, something like new-born puppies, with a double allowance of imperfect feet.
1889 P. Geddes & J. A. Thomson Evol. Sex vi. §5. 72 The degenerate water-bears or sloth-animalcules (Tardigrada).
1940 Ecol. Monogr. 10 572 Tardigrada or ‘water bears’ are also often called ‘moss animalcules’ because of their frequent occurrence in moss.
1972 Oikos 23 182/2 Until recent work on Tardigrada..ideas of population size had been based on small, usually single samples from habitates [sic] in which Tardigrada abounded.
2001 Nature 7 June 639/1 The Pavian scientist [sc. Spallanzani] obtained what he called a ‘real resurrection after death’ of small desiccated animals (Rotifera and Tardigrada) by means of subsequent humidification.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2009; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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