Tardigrada

Tar`di`gra´da

n. pl.	1.	(Zool.) A tribe of edentates comprising the sloths. They are noted for the slowness of their movements when on the ground. See Sloth, 3.
	2.	(Zool.) An order of minute aquatic arachnids; - called also bear animalcules, sloth animalcules, and water bears.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Tardigrada - in some classifications considered a separate phylum: microscopic arachnid-like invertebrates living in water or damp moss having 4 pairs of legs and instead of a mouth a pair of stylets or needlelike piercing organs connected with the pharynx class Tardigrada Arthropoda, phylum Arthropoda - jointed-foot invertebrates: arachnids; crustaceans; insects; millipedes; centipedes tardigrade - an arthropod of the division Tardigrada class - (biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more orders