1
capitalized
[Latin, from Greek Medousa]
: a mortal Gorgon who is slain when decapitated by Perseus
2
plural medusae
mi-ˈdü-ˌsē 
-ˈdyü-,
-ˌzē,
-ˌsī,
-ˌzī
also medusas
[New Latin, from Latin]
: the typically free-swimming, bell-shaped, usually sexually-reproducing, solitary or colonial form of a cnidarian (such as an obelia, box jellyfish, or sea nettle) in which nematocyst-studded tentacles arise and hang down from the margin of the nearly transparent, gelatinous bell see jellyfish
Examples of medusa in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Most species of medusa (or adult) jellyfish live for a few months in the wild, according to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
—
Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
During this, a medusa jellyfish will revert back to its polyp stage, according to American Museum of Natural History.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
The cells specialized for medusae are reprogrammed into cells distinct for polyps – so the T. dohrnii recreates its body from a previous life stage.
—Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 14 Dec. 2023
Now, after more than a century of searching, paleontologists are beginning to find the missing medusas.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Aug. 2023
Fossilized polyps have been found in about 560-million-year old rocks, but the origin of the more free-swimming medusa or jellyfish is not well understood.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 Aug. 2023
In 2007, University of Kansas researcher Bruce Lieberman and colleagues described medusa jellyfish from Utah from the 505-million-year-old Marjum Formation, and a different team of paleontologists described similar fossils in 2016 from 521-million-year-old rocks in China’s Yunnan Province.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Aug. 2023
Interestingly, genes related to DNA storage came into play to help the medusae make their proteins; but once the medusae went back to their polyp form, the same genes were silenced, with their proteins hitting rock bottom in the blob-like stage prior to turning into a polyp.
—Stav Dimitropoulos, Popular Mechanics, 6 Apr. 2023
The loose pieces of her custom Acne Studios top (in pink for Weekend One, black for Weekend Two) flowed with the desert wind, encircling her like a medusa's snakes, her audience suspended like stone.
—Tara Gonzalez, Harper's BAZAAR, 9 June 2023
Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
During this, a medusa jellyfish will revert back to its polyp stage, according to American Museum of Natural History.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
The cells specialized for medusae are reprogrammed into cells distinct for polyps – so the T. dohrnii recreates its body from a previous life stage.
—Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 14 Dec. 2023
Now, after more than a century of searching, paleontologists are beginning to find the missing medusas.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Aug. 2023
Fossilized polyps have been found in about 560-million-year old rocks, but the origin of the more free-swimming medusa or jellyfish is not well understood.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 Aug. 2023
In 2007, University of Kansas researcher Bruce Lieberman and colleagues described medusa jellyfish from Utah from the 505-million-year-old Marjum Formation, and a different team of paleontologists described similar fossils in 2016 from 521-million-year-old rocks in China’s Yunnan Province.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Aug. 2023
Interestingly, genes related to DNA storage came into play to help the medusae make their proteins; but once the medusae went back to their polyp form, the same genes were silenced, with their proteins hitting rock bottom in the blob-like stage prior to turning into a polyp.
—Stav Dimitropoulos, Popular Mechanics, 6 Apr. 2023
The loose pieces of her custom Acne Studios top (in pink for Weekend One, black for Weekend Two) flowed with the desert wind, encircling her like a medusa's snakes, her audience suspended like stone.
—Tara Gonzalez, Harper's BAZAAR, 9 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'medusa.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Medusa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/medusa. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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