Added 10 October 2026
polyp
/ˈpɑlɪp/ noun
Latin root: polypus Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about polyp at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A small vascular growth on the surface of a mucous membrane.
-
One of two forms that coelenterates take (e.g. a hydra or coral): usually sedentary with a hollow cylindrical body usually with a ring of tentacles around the mouth.
in some species of coelenterate, polyps are a phase in the life cycle that alternates with a medusoid phase
Origin
From Latin polypus (“a polyp, a polypus in the nose”), from Ancient Greek πολύπους (polúpous, from πολύς (polús, “many”) + πούς (poús, “foot”)). Doublet of polypus.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)