polypary

American  

[pol-uh-per-ee] / ˈpɒl əˌpɛr i /

noun

polyparies plural

1. the common supporting structure of a colony of polyps, as corals.

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polypary British  

/ ˌpɒlɪˈpɛərɪəm, ˈpɒlɪpərɪ /

noun

1. the common base and connecting tissue of a colony of coelenterate polyps, esp coral

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• polyparian
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• polyparies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of polypary

From the New Latin word polypārium, dating back to 1740–50. See polyp, -ary

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

polypary polyparies

Of the early development of the polypary in the Dendroidea little is known, but the more mature stages have been fully worked out.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 3 "Gordon, Lord George" to "Grasses" by Various

From this first theca originates a second, opening in the same direction, and from the second a third, and soon, in a continuous linear series until the polypary is complete.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 3 "Gordon, Lord George" to "Grasses" by Various

Finally, in the latest family, the Monograptidae, the branches are theoretically reduced to one, the polypary is uniserial throughout, and all the thecae are directed outwards and upwards.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 3 "Gordon, Lord George" to "Grasses" by Various

The tiny microscopic animals that secrete this polypary live by the billions in the depths of their cells.

From Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Walter, F. P.

A coral is a unit of tiny animals assembled over a polypary that's brittle and stony in nature.

From Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Walter, F. P.

The Graptolite polyparies vary considerably in size: the majority range from 1 in. to about 6 in. in length; few examples have been met with having a length or more than 30 in.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 3 "Gordon, Lord George" to "Grasses" by Various

These polyparies were sticking to rocks, shells of mollusks, and even the stalks of water plants.

From Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Walter, F. P.

This valuable substance often merges with other polyparies, forming compact, hopelessly tangled units known as "macciota," and I noted some wonderful pink samples of this coral.

From Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Walter, F. P.

Graptolite, grap′to-līt, n. one of a group of fossil hydrozoa, having simple or branched polyparies, usually strengthened by a horny-like rod—the 'solid axis.'

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various