onychophoran

on·y·choph·o·ran

O0083475 (ŏn′ĭ-kŏf′ər-ən)n. Any of various small wormlike carnivorous animals of the phylum Onychophora, chiefly of moist forests, having a soft cuticle of chitin and pairs of short claw-bearing legs. Also called peripatus, velvet worm.

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[From New Latin Onychophora, phylum name : Greek onux, onukh-, nail, claw; see onyx + Greek -phora, neuter pl. of -phoros, -phore.]

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on′y·choph′o·ran adj.

onychophoran

(ˌɒnɪˈkɒfərən) n (Animals) any wormlike terrestrial invertebrate of the phylum Onychophora, having a segmented body, short unjointed limbs, and breathing by means of tracheae: intermediate in structure and evolutionary development between annelids and arthropods[from New Latin Onychophora, from Greek onukh- nail, claw + -phore]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

onychophoran - any of numerous velvety-skinned wormlike carnivorous animals common in tropical forests having characteristics of both arthropods and annelid wormsperipatus, velvet wormarthropod - invertebrate having jointed limbs and a segmented body with an exoskeleton made of chitinclass Onychophora, Onychophora - enigmatic small elongated wormlike terrestrial invertebrates of damp dark habitats in warm regions; distinct from the phylum Annelida; resemble slugs with legs and are sometimes described as the missing link between arthropods and annelidsPlicatoperipatus jamaicensis - a kind of onychophoran