polyp
noun
pol·yp
| \ ˈpä-ləp
\
\
Definition of polyp
1
: the sessile form of cnidarian (such as a coral or sea anemone) typically having a hollow cylindrical body closed and attached at one end and opening at the other by a central mouth surrounded by tentacles armed with nematocysts
2
: a growth projecting from a mucous membrane (as of the colon or vocal cords)
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Other Words from polyp
polypoid
\ ˈpä-lə-ˌpȯid
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of polyp in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This jet forces out oxygen that accumulates in the middle of the polyp (thanks to its resident symbionts, photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae). — Scientific American, "Nanomachines, Jellyfish Hugs and Hurricane Dorian From Space: The Week's Best Science GIFs," 30 Aug. 2019 That tradition teaches that all of life originally sprang forth from coral polyps, Kosaki said -- not altogether different from what evolution teaches. — Ryan Prior, CNN, "A hurricane in 2018 obliterated one of Hawaii's most beautiful reefs," 28 Aug. 2019 Abnormal polyps can take 10 to 15 years to develop into colon cancer, and some adenomas found with screening may never become cancerous or prove fatal. — Reuters, The Mercury News, "Men: Want lower risk of colorectal cancer? Eat yogurt," 3 July 2019 Secondary dysmenorrhea can be caused by uterine fibroids, cysts, or polyps. — Sophia Caraballo, Woman's Day, "Having Cramps After Your Period Isn't 'Normal'," 25 June 2019 In the study, yogurt consumption didn’t appear to impact the risk of pre-cancerous polyps in women. — Reuters, The Mercury News, "Men: Want lower risk of colorectal cancer? Eat yogurt," 3 July 2019 Only the surface of the Porites formation contains live polyps, so after drilling, the coral formation should continue to grow in the shallows, unharmed and without interruption. — Quanta Magazine, "Cores From Coral Reefs Hold Secrets of the Seas’ Past and Future," 29 May 2018 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 Most cases start as noncancerous polyps in the lining of the large intestine or the rectum. — Consumer Reports, Washington Post, "Exercise and diet can help lower your risk of colon cancer," 22 Jan. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'polyp.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for polyp
polyp
noun
English Language Learners Definition of polyp
medical
: a small lump that grows inside your body (such as inside your colon or on your vocal cords)
: a small sea animal (such as a coral) that has a body shaped like a tube
See the full definition for polyp in the English Language Learners Dictionary
polyp
noun
pol·yp
| \ ˈpä-ləp
\
\
Kids Definition of polyp
: a small sea animal (as a coral) having a tubelike body closed and attached to something (as a rock) at one end and opening at the other with a mouth surrounded by tentacles
polyp
noun
pol·yp
| \ ˈpäl-əp
\
\
Medical Definition of polyp
: a projecting mass of swollen and hypertrophied or tumorous membrane (as in the nasal cavity or the intestine)
— called also polypus