appendicularians
|ap-pen-dic-u-lar-i-an-s|
🇺🇸
/əˌpɛndɪˈkjʊləriənz/
🇬🇧
/əˌpɛndɪˈkjʊəriənz/
(appendicularian)
small, tail-bearing tunicate (makes mucous houses)
Etymology
'appendicularian' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'Appendicularia', where 'appendicula' (a diminutive of Latin 'appendix') meant 'small appendage'.
'appendicularian' changed from the New Latin taxonomic name 'Appendicularia' (coined in modern biological classification) and entered English in the 19th century as the term for members of that group.
Initially, the root referred to 'small appendage' and the taxonomic name reflected that, but over time the English word 'appendicularian(s)' came to mean specifically the small planktonic tunicate organisms (not just the notion of an appendage).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'appendicularian': small, free-swimming marine tunicates (class Appendicularia, also called larvaceans) that secrete a mucous 'house' used to filter planktonic food.
Appendicularians build mucous houses that trap tiny particles, playing an important role in marine food webs.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/21 13:05