gastrovascular

American

[gas-troh-vas-kyuh-ler] / ˌgæs troʊˈvæs kyə lər /

adjective

Zoology.

serving for digestion and circulation, as a cavity.

gastrovascular British

/ ˌɡæstrəʊˈvæskjʊlə /

adjective

(esp of the body cavities of coelenterates) functioning in digestion and circulation

"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 gastrovascular

First recorded in 1875–80; gastro- + vascular

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 food particles are engulfed by the cells lining the gastrovascular cavity.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Mesenteries do not divide the gastrovascular cavity completely, and the smaller cavities coalesce at the pharyngeal opening.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

There is also no circulatory system, so nutrients must move from the cells that absorb them in the lining of the gastrovascular cavity through the mesoglea to other cells.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

A mouth is located at the top of the gastrovascular cavity.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

The polyp form in these animals often shows a cylindrical morphology with a central gastrovascular cavity lined by the gastrodermis.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

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