medusa
/məˈduːsə/ noun, proper noun
Forms medusas medusae medusæ Medousa
- noun (zoology) A jellyfish; specifically, a non-polyp form of individual cnidarians, consisting of a gelatinous umbrella-shaped bell and trailing tentacles.
- noun (pathology) Synonym of worm-star.
- proper noun (Greek mythology) The youngest and only mortal of the three gorgon sisters, killed by Perseus.
Synonyms
Etymology
By appellativization from Medusa.
From Middle English Medusa, Meduse, from Latin Medūsa, from Ancient Greek Μέδουσα (Médousa), from μέδω (médō, “rule over”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The Gorgon; or one of the Gorgons whose hair was changed into serpents, after which all who looked upon her were turned into stone.
- noun [pl. Medusae (.] (Zoöl.)
Etymology [L., fr. Gr. 1. (Class. Myth.) Defn: The Gorgon; or one of the Gorgons whose hair was changed into serpents, after which all who looked upon her were turned into stone. 2. [pl. Medusae (.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “medusa”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details