any animal of the phylum Chordata, including the vertebrates and protochordates, characterized by a notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord, and pharyngeal gill slits
adjective
2.
of, relating to, or belonging to the Chordata
Word origin
C19: from Medieval Latin chordata; see chord1 + -ate1
chordate in American English
(ˈkɔrˌdeɪt)
noun
any of a phylum (Chordata) of animals having at some stage of development a notochord, gill slits, and a dorsal tubular nerve cord: the phylum includes thevertebrates, tunicates, and lancelets