medusa

noun

me·​du·​sa mi-ˈdü-sə How to pronounce medusa (audio)
-ˈdyü-,
-zə
1
capitalized [Latin, from Greek Medousa] : a mortal Gorgon who is slain when decapitated by Perseus
2
plural medusae mi-ˈdü-ˌsē How to pronounce medusa (audio)
-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 jellyfish
medusan
mi-ˈdü-sᵊn How to pronounce medusa (audio)
-ˈdyü-
-zᵊn
adjective or noun
medusoid
mi-ˈdü-ˌsȯid How to pronounce medusa (audio)
-ˈdyü-
-ˌzȯid
adjective or noun

Examples of medusa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The cells specialized for medusae are reprogrammed into cells distinct for polyps – so the T. dohrnii recreates its body from a previous life stage. Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 14 Dec. 2023 Now, after more than a century of searching, paleontologists are beginning to find the missing medusas. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Aug. 2023 Fossilized polyps have been found in about 560-million-year old rocks, but the origin of the more free-swimming medusa or jellyfish is not well understood. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 Aug. 2023 In 2007, University of Kansas researcher Bruce Lieberman and colleagues described medusa jellyfish from Utah from the 505-million-year-old Marjum Formation, and a different team of paleontologists described similar fossils in 2016 from 521-million-year-old rocks in China’s Yunnan Province. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Aug. 2023 Interestingly, genes related to DNA storage came into play to help the medusae make their proteins; but once the medusae went back to their polyp form, the same genes were silenced, with their proteins hitting rock bottom in the blob-like stage prior to turning into a polyp. Stav Dimitropoulos, Popular Mechanics, 6 Apr. 2023 The loose pieces of her custom Acne Studios top (in pink for Weekend One, black for Weekend Two) flowed with the desert wind, encircling her like a medusa's snakes, her audience suspended like stone. Tara Gonzalez, Harper's BAZAAR, 9 June 2023 For now, Turritopsis dohrnii is the only known animal that can develop in reverse, transforming from a medusa back to a polyp. Discover Magazine, 3 June 2015 Ordinarily, jellyfish are born from eggs and grow into larvae, which morph into polyps before becoming free-swimming medusa. Erica Tennenhouse, Discover Magazine, 8 Aug. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'medusa.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of medusa was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near medusa

Cite this Entry

“Medusa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/medusa. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

medusa

noun
me·​du·​sa mi-ˈd(y)ü-sə How to pronounce medusa (audio)
-zə
plural medusae -ˌsē How to pronounce medusa (audio)
-ˌzē
also medusas

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