siphonophore

si·phon·o·phore  (s-fn-fôr, -fr, sf-n-)

n.

Any of various transparent, often subtly colored marine hydrozoans of the order Siphonophora, consisting of a floating or swimming colony of polyplike and medusalike individuals and including the Portuguese man-of-war.

---

[From New Latin Sphnophora, order name : Greek sph, sphn-, tube + Greek -phora, neuter pl. of -phoros, -phore.]

---

siphonophore [ˈsaɪfənəˌfɔː saɪˈfɒnə-]

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any marine colonial hydrozoan of the order Siphonophora, including the Portuguese man-of-war

[from New Latin siphonophora, from Greek siphōnophoros tube-bearing]

siphonophorous  [ˌsaɪfəˈnɒfərəs] adj

---

siphonophore  (s-fn-fôr, sf-n-)

Any of various transparent, often subtly colored marine cnidarians of the order Siphonophora, consisting of a delicate floating or swimming colony of polyplike and medusalike individuals. Siphonophores can reach lengths of 40 m (131 ft), making them longer than blue whales. The Portuguese man-of-war is a siphonophore.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

siphonophore - a floating or swimming oceanic colony of polyps often transparent or showily colored hydroid, hydrozoan - colonial coelenterates having the polyp phase dominant order Siphonophora, Siphonophora - marine colonial hydrozoans nanomia - small creatures resembling pieces of fuzzy rope; each with a cluster of swimming bells serving as the head and long elastic tentacles for drawing in prey jellyfish, Portuguese man-of-war, man-of-war - large siphonophore having a bladderlike float and stinging tentacles praya - colonial siphonophore of up to 130 ft long apolemia - large siphonophore of up to 50 ft long