medusae

1 definition found

medusae - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Medusa \Me*du"sa\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?.]
     1. (Class. Myth.) The Gorgon; or one of the Gorgons whose
        hair was changed into serpents, after which all who looked
        upon her were turned into stone.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. [pl. Medusae.] (Zool.) Any free swimming acaleph; a
        jellyfish.
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     Note: The larger medusae belong to the Discophora, and are
           sometimes called covered-eyed medusae; others, known
           as naked-eyed medusae, belong to the Hydroidea, and
           are usually developed by budding from hydroids. See
           Discophora, Hydroidea, and Hydromedusa.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     Medusa bud (Zool.), one of the buds of a hydroid, destined
        to develop into a gonophore or medusa. See Athecata, and
        Gonotheca.
  
     Medusa's head.
        (a) (Zool.) An astrophyton.
        (b) (Astron.) A cluster of stars in the constellation
            Perseus. It contains the bright star Algol.
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