ascidia
|a-sid-i-a|
C2
/əˈsɪdiə/
bag-like sea-squirt
Etymology
Etymology Information
'ascidia' originates from New Latin, ultimately from Greek 'askidion' (a diminutive of 'askos'), where 'askos' meant 'bag'.
Historical Evolution
'ascidia' changed from Greek 'askidion' into scientific Latin 'Ascidia' and was adopted into modern English scientific vocabulary as 'ascidia'.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it meant 'little bag' (the diminutive sense), but over time it evolved to denote the sac-like marine animals now called 'sea squirts'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a taxonomic genus of sessile tunicates (sea squirts) in which members are sac-like marine invertebrates; used in scientific contexts.
Several ascidia were collected from the shallow reef for study.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/26 12:50