planula

[ plan-yuh-luh ]

noun,plural plan·u·lae [plan-yuh-lee]. /ˈplæn yəˌli/. Zoology.
  1. the ciliate, free-swimming larva of a coelenterate.

Origin of planula

1
1865–70; <New Latin, diminutive of Latin plānum something flat. See plane1, -ule

Other words from planula

  • plan·u·lar, plan·u·late [plan-yuh-leyt], /ˈplæn yəˌleɪt/, adjective

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British Dictionary definitions for planula

planula

/ (ˈplænjʊlə) /


nounplural -lae (-ˌliː)
  1. the ciliated free-swimming larva of hydrozoan coelenterates such as the hydra

Origin of planula

1
C19: from New Latin: a little plane, from Latin plānum level ground

Derived forms of planula

  • planular, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for planula

planula

[ plănyə-lə ]


Plural planulae (plănyə-lē′)
  1. The flat, free-swimming, ciliated larva of a cnidarian.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.