turbellarian

[ tur-buh-lair-ee-uh n ]

/ ˌtɜr bəˈlɛər i ən /

adjective

belonging to the Turbellaria, a class of platyhelminths or flatworms, mostly aquatic and having cilia on the body surface.

noun

a turbellarian platyhelminth.

Nearby words

turangawaewae, turanian, turban, turban squash, turbary, turbellarian, turbid, turbidimeter, turbidimetry, turbidite, turbidity current

Origin of turbellarian

1875–80; < New Latin Turbellari(a) (Latin turbell(ae) a stir, row (plural diminutive of turba turmoil) + -āria, neuter plural of -ārius -ary) + -an

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for turbellarian

The third stage in our ancestral series is the turbellarian.
The Whence and the Whither of Man|John Mason Tyler
Now the turbellarian is small and sluggish, with a fair digestive system.
The Whence and the Whither of Man|John Mason Tyler
According to Spengel it resembles at this time in its form and habits a rhabdocœlous Turbellarian.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume II (of 4)|Francis Maitland Balfour
Between the turbellarian and the annelid many aberrant lines diverged.
The Whence and the Whither of Man|John Mason Tyler

British Dictionary definitions for turbellarian

turbellarian

/ (ˌtɜːbɪˈlɛərɪən) /

noun

any typically aquatic free-living flatworm of the class Turbellaria, having a ciliated epidermis and a simple life cycle: includes the planarians

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to the class Turbellaria

Word Origin for turbellarian

C19: from New Latin Turbellāria, from Latin turbellae (pl) bustle, from turba brawl, referring to the swirling motion created in the water

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