coelenterate

coe·len·ter·ate

C0454400 (sĭ-lĕn′tə-rāt′, -tər-ĭt)n. A marine invertebrate belonging to the now obsolete phylum Coelenterata, which included the cnidarians and sometimes also the ctenophores.

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[From New Latin Coelenterāta, phylum name : Greek koilos, hollow; see -coel + enteron.]

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coe·len·ter′ic (-tĕr′ĭk) adj.

coelenterate

(sɪˈlɛntəˌreɪt; -rɪt) n (Animals) any invertebrate of the phylum Cnidaria (formerly Coelenterata), having a saclike body with a single opening (mouth), which occurs in polyp and medusa forms. Coelenterates include the hydra, jellyfishes, sea anemones, and coralsadj1. (Animals) (loosely) any invertebrate of the phyla Cnidaria or Ctenophora2. (Animals) of or relating to coelenterates[C19: from New Latin Coelenterata, hollow-intestined (creatures); see coel-, enteron] coelenteric adj

coe•len•ter•ate

(sɪˈlɛn təˌreɪt, -tər ɪt)

n. 1. any of the invertebrate animals formerly included in the phylum Coelenterata, comprising the cnidarians and comb jellies. adj. 2. of or pertaining to the coelenterates. [1870–75; < New Latin Coelenterata (1847); see coelenteron, -ate¹]

coe·len·ter·ate

(sĭ-lĕn′tə-rĭt) See cnidarian.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

coelenterate - radially symmetrical animals having saclike bodies with only one opening and tentacles with stinging structures; they occur in polyp and medusa formscnidariancoelenteron - 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