Portuguese man-of-war

American  

noun

1. any of several large, oceanic hydrozoans of the genus Physalia, having a large, bladderlike structure with a saillike crest by which they are buoyed up and from which dangle tentacles with stinging cells.

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Portuguese man-of-war British  

noun

1. Sometimes shortened to: man-of-war.  any of several large complex colonial hydrozoans of the genus Physalia, esp P. physalis, having an aerial float and long stinging tentacles: order Siphonophora

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Etymology

Origin of Portuguese man-of-war

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

By-the-wind-sailors are related to jellyfish and the Portuguese man-of-war, which can produce a painful sting, but their tentacles are mostly harmless, Pernet said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2023

Q: Years ago, my 3-year-old tripped and fell on a Portuguese man-of-war while we were at the beach.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 10, 2022

“I feel bad that they took that kind of chance, probably for nothing,” said Januik, as a highly poisonous Portuguese man-of-war swam past his dock.

From Washington Post • Apr. 9, 2022

Later, I got stung by a Portuguese man-of-war.

From National Geographic • Dec. 16, 2017

Vole had deposited him in the tank with the giant jellyfish: Herod Sayle’s Portuguese man-of-war.

From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz