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

noun

• polyparies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of polypary

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

Example Sentences

For some it's a polypary, and for others, such as Professor Milne–Edwards, it's a single, solitary individual.

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

The sponge is definitely not a plant, as some naturalists still believe, but an animal of the lowest order, a polypary inferior even to coral.

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

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.

Captain Nemo's treasures were enhanced by some valuable exhibits from the delphinula snail species, to which I joined some pointed star coral, a sort of parasitic polypary that often attaches itself to seashells.

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

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