metazoan
noun
meta·zo·an
ˌme-tə-ˈzō-ən 
: any of a group (Metazoa) that comprises all animals having the body composed of cells differentiated into tissues and organs and usually a digestive cavity lined with specialized cells
metazoan
adjective
Examples of metazoan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But gene regulation in complex metazoans — animals like humans, with complex eukaryotic cells — doesn’t generally seem to work this way.
—
Philip Ball, Quanta Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024
This is just one of the myriad reasons biologists give for the long term lack of success of parthenogenetic metazoan lineages.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2013
The same drama is played out among the cells that make up every metazoan since the Cambrian Explosion, when multicellular life began.
—George Johnson, Discover Magazine, 7 Sep. 2013
Meanwhile, Knauth theorizes, oxygen-utilizing metazoans could have evolved on moist mats of oxygen producers kept hydrated by rains, lakes, streams and rivers during the late Precambrian.
—Peter Byrne, Quanta Magazine, 24 Apr. 2014
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Philip Ball, Quanta Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024
This is just one of the myriad reasons biologists give for the long term lack of success of parthenogenetic metazoan lineages.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2013
The same drama is played out among the cells that make up every metazoan since the Cambrian Explosion, when multicellular life began.
—George Johnson, Discover Magazine, 7 Sep. 2013
Meanwhile, Knauth theorizes, oxygen-utilizing metazoans could have evolved on moist mats of oxygen producers kept hydrated by rains, lakes, streams and rivers during the late Precambrian.
—Peter Byrne, Quanta Magazine, 24 Apr. 2014
Dictionary Entries Near metazoan
Cite this Entry
“Metazoan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metazoan. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
metazoan
noun
meta·zo·an
ˌmet-ə-ˈzō-ən
: any of the great group of animals with a body composed of cells forming tissues and organs
metazoan
adjective
Medical Definition
metazoan
noun
meta·zo·an
-ˈzō-ən
: any of the animals that comprise the taxon Metazoa, that have the body when adult composed of numerous cells differentiated into tissues and organs and usually a digestive cavity lined with specialized cells, and that usually include the coelenterates and all higher animals but sometimes also include the sponges and mesozoans
metazoan
adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share