Dinophilea

plural noun

Di·​no·​phil·​ea

ˌdīnōˈfilēə

: a small group of minute vermiform invertebrate animals inhabiting salt water or brackish water, constituting a single genus, and being considered of uncertain systematic position or included as a class in Trochelminthes

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, from Dinophilus, genus coextensive with the group Dinophilea (from Greek dī́nē "whirlpool, vortex, eddy" + -o- -o- + New Latin -philus -philus) + -ea, neuter plural of Latin -eus -eous

Note: The group name Dinophilea appears to have been introduced in T. Jeffrey Parker and William A. Haswell's A Text-Book of Zoology, vol. 1 (London, 1897), pp. 310-11. The genus name Dinophilus was introduced by the German zoologist Eduard Oscar Schmidt (1823-86) in Neue Beiträge zur Naturgeschichte der Würmer, gesammelt auf einer Reise nach den Färör im Frühjahr 1848 (Jena, 1848), p. 3

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!