comb jelly

American

[kohm] / koʊm /

noun

any marine invertebrate of the phylum Ctenophora, comprising various nearly transparent creatures having rounded, oval, or band-shaped bodies propelled by eight iridescent appendages composed of cilia arranged like teeth on a comb.

comb jelly British

noun

another name for a ctenophore

"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

comb jelly Scientific

/ kōm /

See ctenophore

Etymology

Origin of comb jelly

First recorded in 1885–90

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.

See Examples For:

comb jelly

According to Ferraioli, the next phase of research will focus on identifying the molecular characteristics of the newly discovered cell types and exploring how strongly the aboral organ influences comb jelly behavior.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 6, 2026

To test whether this comb jelly was actually two individuals who had fused together, the scientists tested individual ctenophores collected at different sites on separate dates.

From Salon ● Nov. 10, 2024

So, the outcomes of future technological evolution could surpass humans by as much as we intellectually surpass a comb jelly.

From Scientific American ● Jun. 1, 2023

But when Dr. Kittelmann and her colleagues started to inspect the comb jelly neurons, they struggled to find a synapse between the neurons.

From New York Times ● May 17, 2023

Though if any organism was going to have one, it's not too surprising it's the comb jelly.

From Salon ● Nov. 10, 2021

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