box jellyfish

noun

variants or less commonly box jelly

: any of various cube-shaped jellyfishes (class Cubozoa) of tropical and warm marine waters that inflict a painful and sometimes fatal sting

especially : an extremely venomous box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) of Australia that has a bell that may reach over 11 inches (28 centimeters) in width with tentacles that may reach a length of over 78 inches (2 meters) : sea wasp

Found in the waters off northern Australia, the box jellyfish … is not the only marine invertebrate to use venom, but it is the possessor of arguably the most lethal venom in the world.

—Jamie Seymour

Examples of box jellyfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To try to solve this puzzle, the researchers turned to the gene-editing tool CRISPR—which also aided in the discovery of an antidote for box jellyfish venom five years ago. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 July 2024

But like box jellyfish, which are nasty, nasty and are painful stings are starting to show up. —Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 1 July 2024

Life Jellyfish surprise scientists by learning without a brain Lab experiments showed Caribbean box jellyfish are quick studies of their environment. —Big Think, 24 June 2024

Jack Barnes, a Queensland physician, eventually narrowed down the suspects to a species of tiny, nearly transparent box jellyfish. —Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 1 Nov. 2017

Word History

Etymology

from its square shape

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

box jellyfish

noun

: sea wasp