vestimentiferan

[ves-tuh-muhn-tif-er-uhn, ‑men-]

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of vestimentiferan¹

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

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.

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