Defn: Any free swimming acaleph; a jellyfish.
Note: The larger medusæ belong to the Discophora, and are sometimes called covered-eyed medusæ; others, known as naked-eyed medusæ, belong to the Hydroidea, and are usually developed by budding from hidroids. See Discophora, Hydroidea, and Hydromedusa. Medusa bud (Zoöl.), one of the buds of a hydroid, destined to develop into a gonophore or medusa. See Athecata, and Gonotheca. — Medusa's head. (a) (Zoöl.) An astrophyton. (b) (Astron.) A cluster of stars in the constellation Perseus. It contains the bright star Algol.
MEDUSIAN
Me*du"si*an, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A medusa.
MEDUSIFORM
Me*du"si*form, a. Etym: [Medusa + -form.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Resembling a medusa in shape or structure.
MEDUSOID
Me*du"soid, a. Etym: [Medusa + -oid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Like a medusa; having the fundamental structure of a medusa, but without a locomotive disk; — said of the sessile gonophores of hydroids. — n.
Defn: A sessile gonophore. See Illust. under Gonosome.
MEECH
Meech, v. i.