cnidarian

cni·dar·i·an

C0429750 (nī-dâr′ē-ən)n. Any of various invertebrate animals of the phylum Cnidaria, characterized by a radially symmetrical body with a saclike internal cavity and stinging nematocysts, and including the jellyfishes, hydras, sea anemones, and corals.

---

[New Latin Cnīdāria, phylum name, from Greek knīdē, sea nettle.]

---

cni·dar′i·an adj.

cnidarian

(naɪˈdɛərɪən; knaɪ-) n (Animals) any invertebrate of the phylum Cnidaria, which comprises the coelenteratesadj (Animals) of, relating to, or belonging to the Cnidaria[C20: from New Latin Cnidaria, from Greek knidē nettle]

cni•dar•i•an

(naɪˈdɛər i ən)

n. 1. any radially symmetric invertebrate of the phylum Cnidaria, including the hydras, jellyfishes, sea anemones, and corals, characterized by stinging cells and a saclike digestive cavity with a single opening surrounded by tentacles. Compare coelenterate. adj. 2. of or pertaining to the cnidarians. [1930–35; < New Latin Cnidari(a) (see cnida, -aria) + -an¹]

cni·dar·i·an

(nī-dâr′ē-ən) Any of various invertebrate animals that have a body with radial symmetry, tentacles, and a sac-like internal cavity. They have a single opening for ingesting food and eliminating wastes. Cnidarians include the jellyfishes, hydras, sea anemones, and corals. Also called coelenterate.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

cnidarian - radially symmetrical animals having saclike bodies with only one opening and tentacles with stinging structures; they occur in polyp and medusa formscoelenteratecoelenteron - the saclike body cavity of a coelenterateinvertebrate - any animal lacking a backbone or notochord; the term is not used as a scientific classificationCnidaria, Coelenterata, phylum Cnidaria, phylum Coelenterata - hydras; polyps; jellyfishes; sea anemones; coralspolyp - one of two forms that coelenterates take (e.g. a hydra or coral): usually sedentary with a hollow cylindrical body usually with a ring of tentacles around the mouth; "in some species of coelenterate, polyps are a phase in the life cycle that alternates with a medusoid phase"medusan, medusoid, medusa - one of two forms that coelenterates take: it is the free-swimming sexual phase in the life cycle of a coelenterate; in this phase it has a gelatinous umbrella-shaped body and tentaclesjellyfish - any of numerous usually marine and free-swimming coelenterates that constitute the sexually reproductive forms of hydrozoans and scyphozoansscyphozoan - any of various usually free-swimming marine coelenterates having a gelatinous medusoid stage as the dominant phase of its life cyclehydroid, hydrozoan - colonial coelenterates having the polyp phase dominantactinozoan, anthozoan - sessile marine coelenterates including solitary and colonial polyps; the medusoid phase is entirely suppressed

Translations