vestimentiferan

American

[ves-tuh-muhn-tif-er-uhn, ‑men-] / ˌvɛs tə mənˈtɪf ər ən, ‑mɛn- /

noun

any of various marine tubeworms of the phylum Vestimentifera or Pogonophora, which live in upright tubes near hydrothermal vents.

Etymology

Origin of vestimentiferan

First recorded in 1965–70; from New Latin Vestīmentifera phylum name, equivalent to Latin vestīment(um) “garment, outer garment” + -i- ( def. ) + -fera, neuter plural of -fer -fer ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After spotting the initial tubeworm, researchers came back the next day to find even more of the sea-dwelling invertebrates, which belong to an animal group known as vestimentiferan.

From Fox News

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023