mesoglea

noun

me·so·glea ˌme-zə-ˈglē-ə

ˌmē-,

-sə-

variants or less commonly mesogloea

: a gelatinous substance between the endoderm and ectoderm of sponges or cnidarians

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Covered in silicone to replicate the jellyfish’s wavy, bioluminescent mesoglea — the jelly, basically — the Cyro weighs a staggering 170 pounds, all thanks to a five-year grant from the Office of Naval Research. —

Spencer Ackerman, WIRED, 28 Mar. 2013

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mesoglea.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from mes- + Late Greek gloia, glia glue — more at clay

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of mesoglea was in 1886

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Mesoglea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mesoglea. Accessed 1 Apr. 2023.

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Kids Definition

mesoglea

noun

me·so·glea ˌmez-ə-ˈglē-ə

ˌmes-

: a jellylike material between the endoderm and ectoderm of sponges and coelenterates

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