sea slug

noun

1
2
: a naked marine gastropod
specifically : nudibranch

Examples of sea slug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But in studies of organisms as diverse as crustaceans, sea slugs and now possibly snakes, researchers are finding that interactions with neuromodulators and other chemicals can modulate the activity that a circuit evokes, leading the same networks of cells to produce markedly different behaviors. Quanta Magazine, 11 Mar. 2024 Incidentally, these are the same molecules, genes, and neuronal pathways modulated when a sea slug learns to avoid being shocked by a researcher—i.e., not free will. Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 12 Nov. 2023 Giant groupers flourish among the rocks, a psychedelic purple nudibranch sea slug clings to an outcrop, and a pair of rays skate along the undisturbed sandy bottom. Ilan Ben Zion, ajc, 14 Nov. 2022 Mitoh actually observed this behavior in several individuals from two different species of sacoglossan sea slug. Matt Simon, Wired, 8 Mar. 2021 Scientists had thought that such a relatively large animal — one of the sea slug species can grow to 6 inches (15 centimeters) long — couldn’t survive without a heart to pump blood and nutrients to the brain, said Canadian marine biologist Susan Anthony, who wasn’t part of the study. NBC News, 8 Mar. 2021 Elysia, the sea slug, being flat and green, looks like a living leaf. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 18 Sep. 2012 For example, kahalalide F—a compound that was isolated from a sea slug and that is being tested against cancers and psoriasis—is created synthetically from DSI. Olive Heffernan, Scientific American, 12 Sep. 2022 Seventeen new species of sea slug have been added to the nudibranch family tree courtesy of efforts from a group of researchers at the California Academy of Sciences. Alison MacKey, Discover Magazine, 5 Nov. 2018

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

Word History

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sea slug was in 1779

Dictionary Entries Near sea slug

Cite this Entry

“Sea slug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sea%20slug. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sea slug

noun
1
2
: any of several marine mollusks that have no shell

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