tunicate

[ too-ni-kit, -keyt, tyoo- ]

/ ˈtu nɪ kɪt, -ˌkeɪt, ˈtyu- /

Save This Word!

noun

Zoology. any sessile marine chordate of the subphylum Tunicata (Urochordata), having a saclike body enclosed in a thick membrane or tunic and two openings or siphons for the ingress and egress of water.

adjective Also tu·ni·cat·ed.

(especially of the Tunicata) having a tunic or covering.

of or relating to the tunicates.

Botany. having or consisting of a series of concentric layers, as a bulb.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of tunicate

First recorded in 1615–25, tunicate is from the Latin word tunicātus wearing a tunic. See tunic, -ate¹

Words nearby tunicate

Tungusic, Tunguska, Tunguz, tunic, tunica, tunicate, tunicle, tuning, tuning fork, tuning head, tuning key

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

How to use tunicate in a sentence

We have found chemicals in Antarctic sponges and tunicates and some algae, that have garnered attention as potential drugs.
The Greening of Antarctica - Issue 90: Something Green|Marissa Grunes|October 7, 2020|Nautilus
Compare the life-history of the lamprey and of the tunicate.
The Origin of Vertebrates|Walter Holbrook Gaskell
The word tunicate in the above table is used for the136 plants which Albertus describes as growing ex ligneis tunicis.
Herbals, Their Origin and Evolution|Agnes Arber
In the open channel of a sponge, the mouth of a tunicate and in similar cavities of various animals, little fishes may be found.
Elementary Zoology, Second Edition|Vernon L. Kellogg

British Dictionary definitions for tunicate

tunicate

/ (ˈtjuːnɪkɪt, -ˌkeɪt) /

noun

any minute primitive marine chordate animal of the subphylum Tunicata (or Urochordata, Urochorda). The adults have a saclike unsegmented body enclosed in a cellulose-like outer covering (tunic) and only the larval forms have a notochord: includes the sea squirtsSee also ascidian

adjective Also: tunicated

of, relating to, or belonging to the subphylum Tunicata

(esp of a bulb) having or consisting of concentric layers of tissue

Word Origin for tunicate

C18: from Latin tunicātus clad in a tunic

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 tunicate

tunicate

[ tōō′nĭ-kĭt ]

Any of various primitive marine chordate animals of the subphylum Tunicata, having a rounded or cylindrical body that is enclosed in a tough outer covering. Tunicates start out life as free-swimming, tadpolelike animals with a notochord (a primitive backbone), but many, such as the sea squirts, lose the notochord and most of their nervous system as adults and become fixed to rocks or other objects. Tunicates often form colonies.