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Me·dus·a  (mĭ-dsə, -zə, -dy-)
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Tweet n. Greek Mythology The Gorgon who was killed by Perseus. [Middle EnglishMeduse, fromLatinMedūsa, fromGreekMedousa, fromfeminine present participle ofmedein, to protect, rule over; see med- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]  (click for a larger image) Medusa2nd-century ad mosaic from the Roman baths at Sousse, Tunisia |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
me·du·sa (mĭ-dsə, -zə, -dy-)
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Tweet n.pl. me·du·sas or me·du·sae(-sē, -zē) A body form of certain cnidarians such as jellyfish, consisting of a dome-shaped structure with a mouth underneath surrounded by tentacles, and in most species constituting the free-swimming sexual stage of the organism. [LatinMedūsa, Medusa (from the Medusa's snaky locks); see MEDUSA.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
