ctenophore

[ ten-uh-fawr, -fohr, tee-nuh- ]

/ ˈtɛn əˌfɔr, -ˌfoʊr, ˈti nə- /

noun

any gelatinous marine invertebrate of the phylum Ctenophora; a comb jelly.

Nearby words

cteno-, ctenocephalides, ctenoid, ctenophora, ctenophoran, ctenophore, ctenophorous, ctesiphon, ctf, ctg., ctmo.

Origin of ctenophore

From the New Latin word ctenophorus, dating back to 1880–85. See cteno-, -phore

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for ctenophore

ctenophore

/ (ˈtɛnəˌfɔː, ˈtiːnə-) /

noun

any marine invertebrate of the phylum Ctenophora, including the sea gooseberry and Venus's-girdle, whose body bears eight rows of fused cilia, for locomotionAlso called: comb jelly

Derived Forms

ctenophoran (tɪˈnɒfərən), adjective, noun

Word Origin for ctenophore

C19: from New Latin ctenophorus, from Greek kteno-, kteis comb + -phore

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

Science definitions for ctenophore

ctenophore

[ tĕn′ə-fôr′ ]

Any of various, mostly small marine invertebrates of the phylum Ctenophora, having transparent, gelatinous bodies bearing eight rows of comblike cilia. Ctenophores have a branched digestive tract that also has circulatory function. Most ctenophores feed on plankton and are bioluminescent, producing brilliant displays of blue or green light at night. Ctenophores are related to cnidarians but are more highly evolved because their bodies have a true mesoderm. Also called comb jelly