rhizocephalous

[ rahy-zoh-sef-uh-luh s ]
/ ˌraɪ zoʊˈsɛf ə ləs /

adjective Zoology.

belonging to the Rhizocephala, a group of degenerate hermaphrodite crustaceans that are parasitic chiefly on crabs.

Origin of rhizocephalous

First recorded in 1890–95; rhizo- + -cephalous

OTHER WORDS FROM rhizocephalous

rhi·zo·ceph·a·lan, noun

Words nearby rhizocephalous

British Dictionary definitions for rhizocephalan

rhizocephalan
/ (ˌraɪzəʊˈsɛfələn) /

noun

any parasitic crustacean of the order Rhizocephala, esp Sacculina carcini, which has a saclike body and sends out absorptive processes into the body of its host, the crab: subclass Cirripedia (barnacles)

adjective Also: rhizocephalous

of, relating to, or belonging to the order Rhizocephala

Word Origin for rhizocephalan

C19: from New Latin Rhizocephala (literally: root-headed), from rhizo- + -cephala from Greek kephalē head