medusa
noun
me·du·sa
| \ mi-ˈdü-sə
, -ˈdyü-, -zə\
, -ˈdyü-, -zə\
Definition of medusa
1
capitalized
[ Latin, from Greek Medousa ]
: a mortal Gorgon who is slain when decapitated by Perseus
2
plural medusae\ mi-ˈdü-ˌsē
, -ˈdyü- , -ˌzē , -ˌsī , -ˌzī\
also medusas
[ New Latin, from Latin ]
: the typically free-swimming, bell-shaped, usually sexually-reproducing, solitary or colonial form of a cnidarian (such as an obelia, box jellyfish, or sea nettle) in which nematocyst-studded tentacles arise and hang down from the margin of the nearly transparent, gelatinous bell — see also jellyfish
, -ˈdyü- , -ˌzē , -ˌsī , -ˌzī\
also medusas
[ New Latin, from Latin ]
: the typically free-swimming, bell-shaped, usually sexually-reproducing, solitary or colonial form of a cnidarian (such as an obelia, box jellyfish, or sea nettle) in which nematocyst-studded tentacles arise and hang down from the margin of the nearly transparent, gelatinous bell — see also jellyfish
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Other Words from medusa
medusan
\ mi-ˈdü-sᵊn
, -ˈdyü- , -zᵊn \
adjective or noun
, -ˈdyü- , -zᵊn \
adjective or noun
medusoid
\ mi-ˈdü-ˌsȯid
, -ˈdyü- , -ˌzȯid \
adjective or noun
, -ˈdyü- , -ˌzȯid \
adjective or noun
Examples of medusa in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The medusa danced before her, flaunting its translucent skirts. — L. S. Asekoff, Harper's magazine, "Sundowner," 19 Aug. 2019 Gold thought that genes unique to jellyfish would be active during the transformation from polyp to medusa. — Quanta Magazine, "Jellyfish Genome Hints That Complexity Isn’t Genetically Complex," 8 Jan. 2019 To go from being a stationary polyp to a floating medusa is almost akin to humans evolving the ability to swim through the air and capture birds with springy, netlike appendages. — Quanta Magazine, "Jellyfish Genome Hints That Complexity Isn’t Genetically Complex," 8 Jan. 2019 In the 1990s Italian researchers discovered that Turritopsis dorhnii, a jellyfish the size of a pen tip, reverts back and forth from a medusa to a polyp, earning the nickname the immortal jellyfish. — National Geographic, "Like 'Deadpool,' This Jellyfish Has Amazing Superpowers," 2 Mar. 2016 If so, scientists are hopeful that once conditions in the lake improve, a new generation will again produce the free swimming adult medusa that so delight tourists. — National Geographic, "The Famous Jellyfish Lake Is Running Out of Jellyfish," 4 May 2016 In the 1990s Italian researchers discovered that Turritopsis dorhnii, a jellyfish the size of a pen tip, reverts back and forth from a medusa to a polyp, earning the nickname the immortal jellyfish. — Martin Shields, National Geographic, "Like 'Deadpool,' This Jellyfish Has Amazing Superpowers," 2 Mar. 2016These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'medusa.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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