anoplonemertean
|an-op-lo-nem-er-te-an|
🇺🇸
/ˌænəploʊnəˈmɜrtiən/
🇬🇧
/ˌænəpləʊnəˈmɜːtiən/
Anopla ribbon worm (no proboscis stylet)
Etymology
'anoplonemertean' originates from New Latin (taxonomic formation), specifically from the combination of 'Anopla' and 'Nemertea', where 'Anopla' derives from Greek elements 'an-' meaning 'without' and 'hoplon' meaning 'weapon' (referring to the absence of a proboscis stylet) and 'Nemertea' ultimately refers to the Greek name 'Nemertes' (a sea-nymph) used to name the phylum.
'anoplonemertean' developed from the taxonomic names 'Anopla' + 'Nemertea' used in 19th–20th century zoological classification; these names were combined in English to form the noun/adjective 'anoplonemertean' for members of that subgroup.
Initially, the components designated taxonomic groups ('Anopla' = without stylet; 'Nemertea' = ribbon worms), and over time the compounded form came to be used in English as a noun/adjective meaning 'a member of Anopla among the Nemertea'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a ribbon worm (a nemertean) that belongs to the group Anopla, characterized chiefly by lacking a stylet in the proboscis (i.e., a member of the Anopla subgroup of Nemertea).
The marine biologist described a new anoplonemertean species collected from shallow sediments.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/18 18:52