actinia

[ ak-tin-ee-uh ]

noun,plural ac·tin·i·ae [ak-tin-ee-ee], /ækˈtɪn iˌi/, ac·tin·i·as.
  1. a sea anemone, especially of the genus Actinia.

Origin of actinia

1
From New Latin, dating back to 1740–50; see origin at actin-, -ia

Words Nearby actinia

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use actinia in a sentence

  • Each several coral-individual is equivalent to a single living polyp (actinia).

    The Wonders of Life | Ernst Haeckel
  • The actinia gemmacia, which is like a gorgeous sunflower, is said to be the most voracious of its kind.

  • One of the most common among the many varieties of sea-anemones is the actinia mesembryanthemum.

  • Unlike actinia, it is fixed to submarine bodies, to which it is glued in very early life, and cannot change its place.

    Glaucus | Charles Kingsley
  • Unlike actinia, its body is supported by a stony skeleton of calcareous plates arranged edgewise so as to radiate from the centre.

    Glaucus | Charles Kingsley

British Dictionary definitions for actinia

actinia

/ (ækˈtɪnɪə) /


nounplural -tiniae (-ˈtɪnɪˌiː) or -tinias
  1. any sea anemone of the genus Actinia, which are common in rock pools

Origin of actinia

1
C18: New Latin, literally: things having a radial structure. See actino-, -ia

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012