palolo worm


noun
  1. the worm Eunice viridis, a polychaete that lives in burrows among the coral reefs of several South Pacific islands, producing sperm or eggs in posterior segments that are cast off periodically in enormous numbers.

Origin of palolo worm

1
First recorded in 1890–95

Words Nearby palolo worm

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for palolo worm

palolo worm

/ (pəˈləʊləʊ) /


noun
  1. any of several polychaete worms of the family Eunicidae, esp Eunice viridis, of the S Pacific Ocean: reproductive segments are shed from the posterior end of the body when breeding

Origin of palolo worm

1
C20 palolo, from Samoan or Tongan

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