Portuguese man-of-war

noun

plural Portuguese man-of-wars also Portuguese men-of-war

: any of a genus (Physalia of the family Physaliidae) of large, tropical and subtropical, pelagic, siphonophore hydrozoans having a crested bladderlike float which bears the colony comprised of three types of zooids on the lower surface with one of the three having nematocyst-equipped tentacles

Illustration of Portuguese man-of-war

• Portuguese man-of-war

Word History

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Portuguese man-of-war

noun

plural Portuguese man-of-wars also Portuguese men-of-war

: any of several large colonial invertebrate animals that are hydrozoans and float on the surface of the sea by means of a large gas-filled structure like a bag and have long tentacles capable of delivering a painful sting

Medical Definition

Portuguese man-of-war

noun

Por·​tu·​guese man-of-war ˌpȯr-chə-ˌgēz-ˌman-əv-ˈwȯr 

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