Illustration of jellyfish
- jellyfish 1a
jellyfish
noun
jel·ly·fish
ˈje-lē-ˌfish 
1
a
: the typically free-swimming, bell-shaped, usually sexually-reproducing solitary or colonial form of a cnidarian in which the whorls of tentacles lined with nematocysts arise and hang down from the margin of the nearly transparent, gelatinous bell : medusa
especially
: a large medusa characteristic of the siphonophores and scyphozoans (such as the sea nettle or box jellyfish)
b
c
2
: a person lacking backbone or firmness
Examples of jellyfish in a Sentence
a jellyfish who was afraid to tell her boss that her latest brainstorm was just plain bad
Recent Examples on the Web
All rooms and suites feature volcanic stone hydrotherapy tubs, private heated plunge pools, lofty ceilings, 24-hour butler service, and lighted in-wall jellyfish habitats.
—
Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 22 Oct. 2024
No living jellyfish have curtains around their tentacles.
—Jack Tamisiea, New York Times, 14 July 2024
Bioluminescence is commonly spotted among fish, squid and gelatinous zooplankton, such as jellyfish, siphonophores, comb jellies, and other animals that are mostly made of water.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Marine Animal Injury Contact with jellyfish, sea sponges, certain coral, or other marine creatures can cause a painful or stinging toxic reaction in the skin.
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for jellyfish 
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Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 22 Oct. 2024
No living jellyfish have curtains around their tentacles.
—Jack Tamisiea, New York Times, 14 July 2024
Bioluminescence is commonly spotted among fish, squid and gelatinous zooplankton, such as jellyfish, siphonophores, comb jellies, and other animals that are mostly made of water.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Marine Animal Injury Contact with jellyfish, sea sponges, certain coral, or other marine creatures can cause a painful or stinging toxic reaction in the skin.
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for jellyfish
Dictionary Entries Near jellyfish
Cite this Entry
“Jellyfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jellyfish. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
jellyfish
noun
jel·ly·fish
ˈjel-ē-ˌfish
1
: any of numerous free-swimming coelenterate animals that reproduce sexually and have a jellylike, saucer-shaped, and usually nearly transparent body and tentacles with stinging cells
2
: any of various sea animals that resemble a jellyfish
Medical Definition
jellyfish
noun
jel·ly·fish
ˈjel-ē-ˌfish
: a free-swimming marine coelenterate that is the sexually reproducing form of a hydrozoan or scyphozoan and has a nearly transparent saucer-shaped body and extensible marginal tentacles studded with stinging cells
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