Pennatulacea

plural noun

Pen·​nat·​u·​la·​cea

pəˌnachəˈlāshēə

: an order of Alcyonaria including the sea pens, sea pansies, and related forms that develop a colony which usually resembles a feather, leaf, or club, is often more or less bilaterally symmetrical with the polyps arranged along the distal part of a central axis or on lateral branches and has the basal end of the axis destitute of polyps and embedded in the mud of the sea bottom

pennatulacean

⸗¦⸗⸗¦lāshən

adjective or noun

pennatulaceous

-shəs

adjective

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Pennatula + -acea

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!