Antipatharia

plural noun An·ti·pa·thar·ia \ ˌantēpəˈtha(a)rēə , -tə̇- \

Definition of Antipatharia

: an order or suborder of Anthozoa comprising the black or thorny corals, all having a usually brown or black axial skeleton that is much branched and hornlike and polyps with few mesenteries or tentacles

—

antipatharian

adjective or noun

There's more!

Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
Advanced search features
Ad free!

Origin and Etymology of antipatharia

borrowed from New Latin, from Antipathes, genus of antipatharian corals (borrowed from Greek antipathés “kind of black coral (in Dioscorides),” literally, “remedy for suffering,” from neuter of antipathḗs “in exchange for suffering, of opposite feelings”) + -aria²-aria