siphonophore

si·phon·o·phore

 (sī-fŏn′ə-fôr′, sī′fə-nə-)

n.

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

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

siphonophore

(ˈsaɪfənəˌfɔː; saɪˈfɒnə-)

n

(Animals) any marine colonial hydrozoan of the order Siphonophora, including the Portuguese man-of-war

[C19: from New Latin siphonophora, from Greek siphōnophoros tube-bearing]

siphonophorous adj

si•pho•no•phore

(ˈsaɪ fə nəˌfɔr, -ˌfoʊr, saɪˈfɒn ə-)

n.

a floating or swimming marine hydrozoan, of the order Siphonophora, that is composed of polyps.

[1835–45; < New Latin Siphonophora < Greek, neuter pl. of siphōnophóros tube-carrying]

si`pho•noph′o•rous (-ˈnɒf ər əs) adj.

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