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metazoan

 - 6 dictionary results

Met⋅a⋅zo⋅a

  [met-uh-zoh-uh]
Use metazoan in a Sentence
–noun
a zoological group comprising the multicellular animals.
Origin:
1870–75; < NL; see meta-, -zoa

Related forms:
met⋅a⋅zo⋅an, adjective, noun
met⋅a⋅zo⋅ic, met⋅a⋅zo⋅al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To metazoan
met·a·zo·an   (mět'ə-zō'ən)   
n.  A multicellular animal of the subkingdom Metazoa, a division of the animal kingdom in traditional two-kingdom classification systems.

[From New Latin Metazōa, a subdivision of the animal kingdom : meta- + -zōa, pl. of -zōon, animal; see -zoon.]
met'a·zo'al, met'a·zo'an, met'a·zo'ic adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: meta·zoa
Pronunciation: "met-&-'zO-&
Function: noun plural
1 capitalized : a major taxonomic group comprising themetazoans —compare PROTOZOA
2 : animals that are metazoans

Main Entry: meta·zo·an
Pronunciation: -'zO-&n
Function: noun
: any of the animals that comprise the taxon Metazoa, that have the body whenadult composed of numerous cells differentiated into tissues and organs and usually a digestive cavity lined with specialized cells, and that usually include the coelenterates and all higher animalsbut sometimes also include the sponges and mesozoans —metazoan adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Metazoa Met·a·zo·a (mět'ə-zō'ə)
n.
A subdivision of the animal kingdom that includes all multicellular animal organisms having cells that are differentiated and form tissues and organs.

met'a·zo'an adj. & n.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
metazoan   (mět'ə-zō'ən)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. Any of the animals belonging to the subkingdom Metazoa, having a body made up of differentiated cells arranged in tissues and organs. All multicellular animals besides sponges are metazoans.

  2. A multicellular animal. No longer in scientific use.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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