ctenophore

American  

[ten-uh-fawr, -fohr, tee-nuh-] / ˈtɛn əˌfɔr, -ˌfoʊr, ˈti nə- /

noun

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

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ctenophore British  

/ ˈtiːnə-, ˈtɛnəˌfɔː, tɪˈnɒfərən /

noun

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

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ctenophore Scientific  

/ tĕn′ə-fôr′ /

1. 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.

2. Also called comb jelly

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ctenophoran
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of ctenophore

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