View synonyms for invertebrate

invertebrate

[ in-vur-tuh-brit, -breyt ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

Zoology.
1. not vertebrate; without a backbone.
2. of or relating to creatures without a backbone.
without strength of character.

invertebrate

/ -ˌbreɪt; ɪnˈvɜːtɪbrɪt /

any animal lacking a backbone, including all species not classified as vertebrates

invertebrate

/ ĭn-vûr′tə-brĭt,-brāt′ /

An animal that has no backbone or spinal column and therefore does not belong to the subphylum Vertebrata of the phylum Chordata. Most animals are invertebrates. Corals, insects, worms, jellyfish, starfish, and snails are invertebrates.

in·ver·te·bra·cy [in-, vur, -t, uh, -br, uh, -see], in·verte·brate·ness noun

From the New Latin word invertebrātus, dating back to 1820–30. See in- ³, vertebrate

The invertebrate fauna of the British deposits is, as might be expected, very poor until the beds of the Rhtic series are reached.

The invertebrate fauna shows an approximation to that of the present day.

This is particularly observable between the vertebrate and invertebrate animals.

Valentine began, startled out of his invertebrate placidity by a sensationalist more original than himself.

The eldest wrote from his dictation part of the sixth and seventh volumes of his work on the invertebrate animals.

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