annelid

noun

an·​ne·​lid ˈa-nə-ˌlid How to pronounce annelid (audio)
: any of a phylum (Annelida) of usually elongated segmented coelomate invertebrates (such as earthworms and leeches)
annelid adjective
annelidan adjective or noun

Examples of annelid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Further research needs to be done, but for now, it is thought that this strange capability might have shown up in some annelid worms when genes that develop the head shifted further down the body, but why this shifting of genes evolved to begin with is still unknown. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023 On top of the possible therapeutic effects, Gauss sees the treatment as offering a rare occasion to reconnect with the natural world, a brief symbiosis between human and annelid. Zoey Poll, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 In annelid worms like M. nipponica, different Hox genes regulate the segments that make up the worm’s entire body. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023 Scientists have compiled many more nematode connectomes, as well as brain maps of a marine annelid worm, a tadpole, a maggot and an adult fruit fly. Lauren Leffer, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2023 Invertebrates are animals without spines, including insects, arachnids, crustaceans, mollusks, annelids, and more. Jamie Dickman, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2023 Found in China's Yangtze Gorge, along with 34 other fossils of the same species, researchers believe Y. spiciformis is related to a group of anthropods that includes crustaceans and millipedes or annelids. Fox News, 6 Sep. 2019 That is in contradistinction to Cambrian fossils, among which are found representatives of all the main animal groups (annelids, arthropods, brachiopods, chordates, cnidarians, echinoderms, molluscs and so on) that are around today. The Economist, 7 June 2018 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, 7 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'annelid.' 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

ultimately from Latin anellus little ring — more at annulet

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of annelid was in 1813

Dictionary Entries Near annelid

Cite this Entry

“Annelid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annelid. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

annelid

noun
an·​ne·​lid ˈan-ᵊl-əd How to pronounce annelid (audio)
ˈan-ə-lid
: any of a phylum of long invertebrate animals that have segments and a body cavity and include the earthworms, leeches, and related forms
annelid adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on annelid

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