rotifer

[ roh-tuh-fer ]

noun

any microscopic animal of the phylum (or class) Rotifera, found in fresh and salt waters, having one or more rings of cilia on the anterior end.

Origin of rotifer

From New Latin, dating back to 1785–95; see origin at Rotifera

Also called wheel animalcule.

Other words from rotifer

ro·tif·er·al [roh-tif-er-uhl], /roʊˈtɪf ər əl/, ro·tif·er·ous, adjective

Words Nearby rotifer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rotifer in a sentence

On these occasions the common rotifer was the subject of the experiment.
Marvels of Pond-life | Henry J. Slack
The Asplanchna, the mouthless male of a rotifer, (p. 292) alone remains for me.
A Monograph on the Sub-class Cirripedia (Volume 2 of 2) | Charles Darwin
On several occasions I have observed them perform a kind of dance, a pas seul, for each rotifer would be alone by itself.
The Dawn of Reason | James Weir
This rotifer goes through another performance which I also believe to be simply a pastime.
The Dawn of Reason | James Weir
The rotifer vulgaris will even bear revivification several times.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. V, No. XXV, June, 1852 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for rotifer

rotifer

/ (ˈrəʊtɪfə) /

noun

any minute aquatic multicellular invertebrate of the phylum Rotifera, having a ciliated wheel-like organ used in feeding and locomotion: common constituents of freshwater plankton: Also called: wheel animalcule

Origin of rotifer

C18: from New Latin Rotifera, from Latin rota wheel + ferre to bear

Derived forms of rotifer

rotiferal (rəʊˈtɪfərəl) or rotiferous, adjective

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

Scientific definitions for rotifer

rotifer

[ rō′tə-fər ]

Any of various tiny, multicellular aquatic animals of the phylum Rotifera, having a wheel-like ring of cilia at their front ends. The cilia trap small organisms for food. Rotifers are grouped by some scientists together with nematodes and some other invertebrates as aschelminths.

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