onychophoran

American

[on-i-kof-er-uhn] / ˌɒn ɪˈkɒf ər ən /

noun

any small, predatory, caterpillarlike animal of the phylum Onychophora, common in tropical forests, having stubby legs ending in pincers.

onychophoran British

/ 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

"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 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

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