radiolarian
[ rey-dee-oh-lair-ee-uh n ]
/ ˌreɪ di oʊˈlɛər i ən /
noun
any minute, marine protozoan of the class Radiolaria, or, in some classification schemes, the superclass Actinopoda, having an amebalike body with radiating, filamentous pseudopodia and a usually elaborate outer skeleton.
Words nearby radiolarian
radioiodine,
radioiron,
radioisotope,
radiolabel,
radioland,
radiolarian,
radiolesion,
radioligand,
radiolocation,
radiolocator,
radiological
Example sentences from the Web for radiolarian
British Dictionary definitions for radiolarian
radiolarian
/ (ˌreɪdɪəʊˈlɛərɪən) /
noun
any of various marine protozoans constituting the order Radiolaria, typically having a siliceous shell and stiff radiating cytoplasmic projections: phylum Actinopoda (actinopods)
Word Origin for radiolarian
C19: from New Latin
Radiolaria, from Late Latin
radiolus little sunbeam, from Latin
radius ray,
radius
Scientific definitions for radiolarian
radiolarian
[ rā′dē-ō-lâr′ē-ən ]
Any of various marine protozoans of the group Radiolaria, having rigid skeletons usually made of silica. The skeletons are usually spherically symmetrical and structurally complex, containing elaborate patterns of perforations (through which pseudopods extend) and often spicules. Skeletal remains of radiolarians sink to form ooze on the ocean floor, and prehistoric radiolarian ooze has fossilized to become chert and flint.