poriferan

po·rif·er·an  (p-rfr-n)

n.

Any of various members of the phylum Porifera constituting the sponges.

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[From New Latin Porifera, phylum name : New Latin porus, passage (from Latin porus, passage; see pore²) + Latin -fera, neuter pl. of -fer, -fer.]

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po·rifer·al, po·rifer·an adj.

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poriferan [por-riff-er-an]

Noun

Biol a sponge [from New Latin porifer bearing pores]

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poriferan  (p-rfr-n)

See sponge.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

poriferan - primitive multicellular marine animal whose porous body is supported by a fibrous skeletal framework; usually occurs in sessile colonies parazoan, sponge invertebrate - any animal lacking a backbone or notochord; the term is not used as a scientific classification phylum Porifera, Porifera - coextensive with the subkingdom Parazoa: sponges glass sponge - a siliceous sponge (with glassy spicules) of the class Hyalospongiae