cnidarian

[ nahy-dair-ee-uhn ]

noun

1. any invertebrate animal, as a hydra, jellyfish, sea anemone, or coral, considered as belonging to the phylum Cnidaria, characterized by the specialized stinging structures in the tentacles surrounding the mouth; a coelenterate.

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the Cnidaria.

cnidarian

/ knaɪ-; naɪˈdɛərɪən /

noun

1. any invertebrate of the phylum Cnidaria , which comprises the coelenterates

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Cnidaria

cnidarian

/ nī-dâr′ē-ən /

1. Any of various invertebrate animals of the phylum Cnidaria, having a body with radial symmetry and tentacles that bear microscopic stinging capsules called nematocysts. The tentacles surround a mouth that opens into a saclike internal cavity and that is used both for ingesting food and for eliminating wastes. Cnidarians evolved in the Precambrian Era, but it is not known from what type of organism. Cnidarians include the jellyfishes, hydras, sea anemones, and corals.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cnidarian¹

Cnidari(a) + -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of cnidarian¹

C20: from New Latin Cnidaria, from Greek knidē nettle

Example Sentences

As Prof. Holstein underscores, the data obtained paint a new picture of the predatory lifestyle as a primary characteristic of the cnidarian gastrula.

From Science Daily

The organism appears to be in its polyp stage, the life cycle when a cnidarian adheres to the ocean floor and uses its tentacles to grab tasty larvae and floating plankton.

From Science Magazine

This unsettling creature is a hydra, a freshwater-dwelling cnidarian no more than a half-inch long that eats mostly insect larvae and crustaceans.

From New York Times

Scientists do not yet understand all cnidarian cell types, let alone their functions.

From Scientific American

Scientists are struggling to figure out why the two cnidarian varieties evolved differently on this crucial trait.

From Scientific American