chordate

noun chor·date \ ˈkȯr-ˌdāt , -dət \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Definition of chordate

: any of a phylum (Chordata) of animals having at least at some stage of development a notochord, dorsally situated central nervous system, and gill slits and including the vertebrates, lancelets, and tunicates

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chordate

adjective

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Recent Examples of chordate from the Web

The first saw the emergence of brachiopods and molluscs, the second that of annelids, cnidarians, echinoderms and chordates (a group that includes the vertebrates).

— The Economist, "The Cambrian explosion was caused by a lack of oxygen, not an abundance," 7 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chordate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.