polyp

American  

[pol-ip] / ˈpɒl ɪp /

noun

polyps plural

1. Zoology.

   1. a sedentary type of animal form characterized by a more or less fixed base, columnar body, and free end with mouth and tentacles, especially as applied to coelenterates.

   2. an individual zooid of a compound or colonial organism.

2. Pathology. a projecting growth from a mucous surface, as of the nose, being either a tumor or a hypertrophy of the mucous membrane.

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polyp British  

/ ˈpɒlɪp /

noun

1. zoology one of the two forms of individual that occur in coelenterates. It usually has a hollow cylindrical body with a ring of tentacles around the mouth Compare medusa

2. Also called: polypus.  pathol a small vascularized growth arising from the surface of a mucous membrane, having a rounded base or a stalklike projection

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polyp Scientific  

/ pŏl′ĭp /

1. A cnidarian in its sedentary stage. Polyps have hollow, tube-shaped bodies with a central mouth on top surrounded by tentacles. Some cnidarians, such as corals and sea anemones, only exist as polyps after their larval stage, while others turn into medusas as adults or lack a polyp stage completely.

2. Compare medusa

3. An abnormal growth extending from a mucous membrane, as of the intestine.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• polypous
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• polyps
  plural

Etymology

Origin of polyp

1350–1400; Middle English polip, short for polipus nasal tumor (later, also cephalopod, now obsolete) < Medieval Latin, Latin pōlypus < dialectal Greek poulýpous octopus, nasal tumor ( Attic polýpous, genitive polýpodos; see poly-, -pod)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

polyp polyps

Its AI platform helped figure out that targeting a certain protein in the body was likely to help treat an inherited colorectal polyp disorder.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026

Other conditions noted in his medical history included a past Covid infection, rosacea, which is a skin condition often causing redness in the face, and a benign colon polyp.

From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2025

In fact, during one of her sessions, Nyong’o injured her vocal cords, which forced her to remain silent for three months to avoid surgery for the polyp that had formed on her throat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2024

In one sequence, marine biologists lovingly restore a rehabbed coral polyp to a reef.

From New York Times ● Apr. 21, 2024

Preformationism assumed that new life was never created, yet in 1741 Abraham Trembley showed that you could cut a polyp into a dozen pieces and it would turn into a dozen polyps.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

That’s why the gold standard is a colonoscopy, a minimally invasive procedure that uses a scope with a camera to examine the large intestine’s lining for precancerous or cancerous polyps.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026

In a small, early stage study, the company said its drug significantly reduced polyps in patients.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026

It can also check for polyps which can develop into cancer.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2026

The analysis showed that people who had both adenomas and serrated polyps faced a much higher likelihood of developing advanced precancerous changes.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 13, 2026

Preformationism assumed that new life was never created, yet in 1741 Abraham Trembley showed that you could cut a polyp into a dozen pieces and it would turn into a dozen polyps.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• tumor