jellyfish

[ jel-ee-fish ]
/ ˈdʒɛl iˌfɪʃ /

noun, plural (especially collectively) jel·ly·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) jel·ly·fish·es.

any of various marine coelenterates of a soft, gelatinous structure, especially one with an umbrellalike body and long, trailing tentacles; medusa.
Informal. a person without strong resolve or stamina; an indecisive or weak person.

Origin of jellyfish

1700–10; 1910–15 for def 2; jelly + fish

Example sentences from the Web for jellyfish

British Dictionary definitions for jellyfish

jellyfish
/ (ˈdʒɛlɪˌfɪʃ) /

noun plural -fish or -fishes

any marine medusoid coelenterate of the class Scyphozoa, having a gelatinous umbrella-shaped body with trailing tentacles
any other medusoid coelenterate
informal a weak indecisive person

Medical definitions for jellyfish

jellyfish
[ jĕlē-fĭsh′ ]

n. pl. jellyfish

Any of numerous marine coelenterates of the class Scyphozoa, some poisonous species of which, notably the Portuguese man-of-war, produce a toxin that can be injected into the skin by nematocysts on the tentacles, causing linear wheals.
Any of various similar or related coelenterates.