zoea

American

[zoh-ee-uh] / zoʊˈi ə /

noun

Zoology.

any of the free-swimming larva of certain crustaceans, as the crab, having rudimentary legs and a spiny carapace.

zoea British

/ zəʊˈiːə /

noun

the free-swimming larva of a crab or related crustacean, which has well-developed abdominal appendages and may bear one or more spines

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

zoeal

adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of zoea

1820–30; < New Latin, equivalent to Greek zō ( ḗ ) life + New Latin -ea -ea

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.

See Examples For:

zoea zoeas

Micrograph c shows green crab zoea larva, which resembles a shrimp.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

The maggot is the larva of the fly, and the zoea is the larva of the Crab.

From On the Seashore by R. Cadwallader Smith

This happens about once a week, until, hey presto! the spiked zoea is now rather like a Crab.

From On the Seashore by R. Cadwallader Smith

It was called a zoea; but you can call it a Crab caterpillar or larva.

From On the Seashore by R. Cadwallader Smith

With crowds of its brothers and sisters, the zoea kicks about on the surface of the sea.

From On the Seashore by R. Cadwallader Smith

All the different kinds of Crab begin life as larvae or zoeas, and cast their shells as we have seen.

From On the Seashore by R. Cadwallader Smith

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