bootlace worm

American  

noun

1. a brownish-black, ribbonlike nemertean, Lineus longissimus.

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bootlace worm British  

noun

1. a nemertean worm, Linens longissimus , that inhabits shingly shores and attains lengths of over 6 m (20 ft)

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Example Sentences

The bootlace worm usually measures 1–5 metres in length, but the longest specimen stretched to roughly 50 metres.

From Nature

A slimy worm that can stretch to 50 metres long may seem nightmarish enough, but experiments reveal that the bootlace worm has another formidable feature: a potent nerve toxin.

From Nature

Along with related peptides from the bootlace worm, α-1 may prove to be a valuable insecticide, the authors say.

From Nature

So our oceans are practically like a united colors of Benetton ribbon worm wonderland with all varieties of these creepy things swimming around, including the bootlace worm, the largest species of nemertea believed to grow as long as 197 feet, more than half the length of a football field.

From Forbes