holothurian

[hol-uh-thoo r-ee-uh n, hoh-luh-]

noun

any echinoderm of the class Holothuroidea, comprising the sea cucumbers.

adjective

belonging or pertaining to the Holothuroidea.

Also hol·o·thu·ri·oid

[hol-uh-thoo r-ee-oid] /ˌhɒl əˈθʊər iˌɔɪd/.

Origin of holothurian

1835–45; < New Latin Holothuri(a) genus name (plural of Latin holothūrium < Greek holothoúrion kind of zoophyte, equivalent to holo- holo- + -thourion < ?) + -an

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for holothurian

Historical Examples of holothurian

The Holothurian of our coast, excelling all the rest in beauty, is the Cuvieria.
Seaside Studies in Natural History
Elizabeth Cabot Cary Agassiz
The perforation so formed, becomes the micropyle of the Holothurian egg, which was first discovered by Joh.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume II (of 4)
Francis Maitland Balfour

British Dictionary definitions for holothurian

holothurian

noun

any echinoderm of the class Holothuroidea, including the sea cucumbers, having a leathery elongated body with a ring of tentacles around the mouth

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to the Holothuroidea

Word Origin for holothurian

C19: from New Latin Holothūria name of type genus, from Latin: water polyp, from Greek holothourion, of obscure origin

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

holothurian in Science

holothurian

[hŏl′ə-thur′ē-ən, hō′lə-]

Any of various echinoderms of the class Holothuroidea, characterized by elongated bodies with tentacles around the mouth and five rows of tube feet. Holothurians are softer than other echinoderms because they lack spines and the skeleton is greatly reduced. Holothurians can extrude their internal organs to distract predators and grow a new set within a few weeks. Also called sea cucumber