ascidian

noun

as·​cid·​i·​an ə-ˈsi-dē-ən 

: any of a class (Ascidiacea) of solitary or colonial sessile tunicates having an incurrent and excurrent siphon

called also sea squirt

Examples of ascidian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Animals With Purple Blood Sea squirts, also known as ascidians or tunicates, possess blood cells that accumulate vanadium — a metal that’s rarely used by living organisms. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 9 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Ascidia, group comprising tunicates, from Ascidium, genus name, from Greek askidion, diminutive of askos wineskin, bladder

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ascidian

• dravidian
• obsidian
• quotidian
• enchiridion
• gideon
• lydian