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onychophoran

[ on-i-kof-er-uhn ]
/ ˌɒn ɪˈkɒf ər ən /
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noun
any small, predatory, caterpillarlike animal of the phylum Onychophora, common in tropical forests, having stubby legs ending in pincers.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of onychophoran

1885–90; <New Latin Onychophor(a) phylum name (<Greek onycho-, combining form of ónyx;see onyx) + New Latin -phora, neuter plural of -phorus-phore + -an

Words nearby onychophoran

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for onychophoran

onychophoran
/ (ˌɒnɪˈkɒfərən) /

noun
any wormlike terrestrial invertebrate of the phylum Onychophora, having a segmented body, short unjointed limbs, and breathing by means of tracheae: intermediate in structure and evolutionary development between annelids and arthropods

Word Origin for onychophoran

from New Latin Onychophora, from Greek onukh- nail, claw + -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
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