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Browse the Medical Dictionary:: A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; X; Y; Z; #

Portuguese man-of-war

Main Entry:: Por·tu·guese man–of–war
Pronunciation:: \ˌpȯr-chə-ˌgēz-ˌman-əv-ˈwȯr\
Function:: noun
Inflected Form(s):: plural Portuguese man–of–wars \-ˈwȯrz\ also Portuguese men–of–war \-ˌmen-əv-ˈwȯr\

: any siphonophore of the genus Physalia including large tropical and subtropical oceanic forms having a crested bladderlike float which bears a colony comprised of three types of zooids on the lower surface with one of the three having stinging tentacles

[Portuguese man{ndash}of{ndash}war illustration]

Learn more about "Portuguese man-of-war" and related topics at Britannica.com

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