cnidarian

cni·dar·i·an  (n-dâr-n)

n.

Any of various invertebrate animals of the phylum Cnidaria, characterized by a radially symmetrical body with a saclike internal cavity, and including the jellyfishes, hydras, sea anemones, and corals. Also called coelenterate.

adj.

Of, relating to, or belonging to the phylum Cnidaria.

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[New Latin Cndria, phylum name, from Greek knd, sea nettle.]

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cnidarian [naɪˈdɛərɪən knaɪ-]

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any invertebrate of the phylum Cnidaria, which comprises the coelenterates

adj

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) of, relating to, or belonging to the Cnidaria

[from New Latin Cnidaria, from Greek knidē nettle]

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cnidarian  (n-dâr-n)

Any of various invertebrate animals of the phylum Cnidaria (or Coelenterata), having a body with radial symmetry and tentacles that bear microscopic stinging capsules called nematocysts. The tentacles surround a mouth that opens into a saclike internal cavity and that is used both for ingesting food and for eliminating wastes. Cnidarians evolved in the Precambrian Era, but it is not known from what type of organism. 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 forms coelenterate coelenteron - the saclike body cavity of a coelenterate invertebrate - any animal lacking a backbone or notochord; the term is not used as a scientific classification Cnidaria, Coelenterata, phylum Cnidaria, phylum Coelenterata - hydras; polyps; jellyfishes; sea anemones; corals polyp - 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 tentacles jellyfish - any of numerous usually marine and free-swimming coelenterates that constitute the sexually reproductive forms of hydrozoans and scyphozoans scyphozoan - any of various usually free-swimming marine coelenterates having a gelatinous medusoid stage as the dominant phase of its life cycle hydroid, hydrozoan - colonial coelenterates having the polyp phase dominant actinozoan, anthozoan - sessile marine coelenterates including solitary and colonial polyps; the medusoid phase is entirely suppressed