Nematocyst

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A capsule, in certain cnidarians, containing a barbed, threadlike tube that delivers a paralyzing sting

    "Often one sees, on surface view, a distinctly rounded vacuole, occupying a position in the cell occupied in others by a large nematocyst."

Synonyms

All synonyms
cnidacnidacnidocellcnidocystcnidocystcnidocyte

Example

More examples

"Often one sees, on surface view, a distinctly rounded vacuole, occupying a position in the cell occupied in others by a large nematocyst."

Etymology

Formed as nemato- + cyst after the French nématocyste.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.