SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus
view recents

actinia

noun
Save Word
ac·​tin·​ia | \ ak-ˈti-nē-ə \

Definition of actinia

1 capitalized, in some classifications : a genus of sea anemones nearly coextensive with the order Actiniaria
2 plural actiniae\ ak-​ˈti-​nē-​ˌē \ or actinias : any sea anemone or related animal

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!

First Known Use of actinia

1752, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for actinia

borrowed from New Latin, from Greek aktīn-, aktís “ray, beam” + New Latin -ia -ia entry 1

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More About actinia

Time Traveler for actinia

Time Traveler

The first known use of actinia was in 1752

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near actinia

acting area

actinia

actinian

See More Nearby Entries 

Statistics for actinia

Cite this Entry

“Actinia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actinia. Accessed 19 Oct. 2021.

Style: MLA
MLACheck Mark Icon ChicagoCheck Mark Icon APACheck Mark Icon Merriam-WebsterCheck Mark Icon

WORD OF THE DAY

nomenclature

Listen to the pronunciation of nomenclature

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Difficult Spelling Words Quiz

  • alphabet pasta spelling help
  • Which is the correct spelling?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games