tunicate
1 of 2adjective
tu·ni·cate ˈtü-ni-kət 
ˈtyü-,
-nə-ˌkāt
variants or less commonly tunicated
ˈtü-nə-ˌkā-təd
ˈtyü-
1
a
: having or covered with a tunic or tunica
b
: having, arranged in, or made up of concentric layers
a tunicate flower bulb
2
: of or relating to the tunicates
tunicate
2 of 2noun
tu·ni·cate ˈtü-ni-kət
-nə-ˌkāt,
ˈtyü-
: any of a subphylum (Urochordata synonym Tunicata) of marine chordate animals (such as ascidians) that are filter feeders having a thick secreted covering layer, a greatly reduced nervous system, and only in the larval stage a notochord
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephanie Stone, Scientific American, 23 July 2022 As just a few examples, in June, the FDA approved a new treatment for lung cancer called lurbinectedin that was originally synthesized from a toxin found in the sea squirt, or tunicate, a marine invertebrate that uses the poison to ward off enemies. Eric Niiler, Wired, 27 Oct. 2020 Here’s the Deal with Those Slimy, Brain-Like Blobs Washing Ashore in Florida and the CarolinasSalps, like their relatives the sea pork, are part of a group called tunicates, are considered one of the most evolved of all marine invertebrates. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 25 June 2019 Moving between mid-water and the deep sea, Phillips and Gruber were able to handle a wide range of organisms, like a glass sponge, a sea cucumber, a branching coral, and even free-floating bioluminescent tunicates. David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 3 Oct. 2018 Here’s the Deal with Those Slimy, Brain-Like Blobs Washing Ashore in Florida and the CarolinasSalps, like their relatives the sea pork, are part of a group called tunicates, are considered one of the most evolved of all marine invertebrates. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 25 June 2019 Moving between mid-water and the deep sea, Phillips and Gruber were able to handle a wide range of organisms, like a glass sponge, a sea cucumber, a branching coral, and even free-floating bioluminescent tunicates. David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 3 Oct. 2018 Unlike other Odontonia species, however, O. plurellicola and O. bagginsi do not live in solitary tunicates; their sea squirts of choice live in colonies and are smaller than their solitary counterparts. Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 13 June 2018 See More
Noun
Another tunicate, Ecteinascidia turbinata, which attaches to submerged mangrove roots, yielded the molecular mixture that led to Yondelis, a sarcoma and ovarian cancer drug, and Zepzelca, which targets small-cell lung cancer. Stephanie Stone, Scientific American, 23 July 2022 As just a few examples, in June, the FDA approved a new treatment for lung cancer called lurbinectedin that was originally synthesized from a toxin found in the sea squirt, or tunicate, a marine invertebrate that uses the poison to ward off enemies. Eric Niiler, Wired, 27 Oct. 2020 Here’s the Deal with Those Slimy, Brain-Like Blobs Washing Ashore in Florida and the CarolinasSalps, like their relatives the sea pork, are part of a group called tunicates, are considered one of the most evolved of all marine invertebrates. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 25 June 2019 Moving between mid-water and the deep sea, Phillips and Gruber were able to handle a wide range of organisms, like a glass sponge, a sea cucumber, a branching coral, and even free-floating bioluminescent tunicates. David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 3 Oct. 2018 Here’s the Deal with Those Slimy, Brain-Like Blobs Washing Ashore in Florida and the CarolinasSalps, like their relatives the sea pork, are part of a group called tunicates, are considered one of the most evolved of all marine invertebrates. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 25 June 2019 Moving between mid-water and the deep sea, Phillips and Gruber were able to handle a wide range of organisms, like a glass sponge, a sea cucumber, a branching coral, and even free-floating bioluminescent tunicates. David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 3 Oct. 2018 Unlike other Odontonia species, however, O. plurellicola and O. bagginsi do not live in solitary tunicates; their sea squirts of choice live in colonies and are smaller than their solitary counterparts. Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 13 June 2018 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Latin tunicatus, from tunica
Noun
New Latin Tunicata, from neuter plural of Latin tunicatus
First Known Use
Adjective
circa 1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
1889, in the meaning defined above