Main Entry:

meta·zo·an

Pronunciation:

\-ˈzō-ən\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

New Latin Metazoa, from meta- + -zoa

Date:

1879

: any of a group (Metazoa) that comprises all animals having the body composed of cells differentiated into tissues and organs and usually a digestive cavity lined with specialized cells

— metazoan adjective