chaeta

American

[kee-tuh] / ˈki tə /

noun

Zoology.

plural

chaetae

a bristle or seta, especially of a chaetopod.

chaeta British

/ ˈkiːtə /

noun

any of the chitinous bristles on the body of such annelids as the earthworm and the lugworm: used in locomotion; a seta

"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

Etymology

Origin of chaeta

< New Latin < Greek chaítē long hair

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The chitinous chaetae have their origin in special ectodermal pits, at the base of which is one large cell which is thought to secrete the chaeta, as in Chaetopods.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023