coelenterate

noun

coe·​len·​ter·​ate si-ˈlen-tə-ˌrāt 

-rət

: cnidarian

Like corals and jellyfish, sea anemones are coelenterates, a name that sacrifices poetry for scientific precision; it means that they have a hollow gut.

—Richard Conniff

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Greek koilos + enteron intestine — more at inter-

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

coelenterate

noun

coel·​en·​ter·​ate

si-ˈlent-ə-ˌrāt,

-rət

: any of a phylum of invertebrate animals including the corals, sea anemones, sea fans, jellyfishes, and hydras and usually have a body with radial symmetry

called also cnidarian

coelenterate adjective

Medical Definition

coelenterate

noun

coe·​len·​ter·​ate si-ˈlent-ə-ˌrāt, -rət 

: any invertebrate animal of the phylum Cnidaria

called also cnidarian

coelenterate adjective