Metazoa

[ met-uh-zoh-uh ]

noun

1. a zoological group comprising the multicellular animals.

Other Words From

• meta·zoan adjective noun
• meta·zoic meta·zoal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Metazoa¹

From New Latin, dating back to 1870–75; meta-, -zoa

Example Sentences

“Metazoa” brings an extraordinary and astute look at our own mind’s essential link to the animal world.

From New York Times

Our integrative analyses place Ctenophora as the earliest lineage within Metazoa.

From Nature

In the higher Metazoa the whole cell—muscle cell—is specialized for contractility, and shows, as a result of its specialization, a distinct fibrillation.

From Project Gutenberg

The phylum Porifera or Spongi� includes the simplest of the Metazoa or multicellular animals.

From Project Gutenberg

MicroRNAs are very diverse across the Metazoa, and the first ones seem to have arisen in the ancestor to sponges. 

From Forbes