plural coeloms also coelomata
si-ˈlō-mə-tə 
: the usually epithelium-lined space between the body wall and the digestive tract of metazoans above the lower worms
Examples of coelom in a Sentence
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The virus must then not only survive the digestive process, but replicate within the mosquito and pass through the gut wall to the coelom (main body cavity) of the mosquito.
—
Claire Gillespie, Health.com, 21 May 2020
The researchers could now see that the objects were moving inside the starfish's coelom, the body cavity that extends into its arms.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 19 June 2015
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Claire Gillespie, Health.com, 21 May 2020
The researchers could now see that the objects were moving inside the starfish's coelom, the body cavity that extends into its arms.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 19 June 2015
Cite this Entry
“Coelom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coelom. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coelom
noun
coe·lom
ˈsē-ləm
: the fluid-filled body cavity of an animal that contains the internal organs (as the heart, lungs, and kidneys)
Medical Definition
coelom
noun
coe·lom
ˈsē-ləm
plural coeloms also coelomata
si-ˈlō-mət-ə
: the usually epithelium-lined body cavity of metazoans above the lower worms that forms a large space when well developed between the digestive tract and the body wall
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