Acholoe

/əˈkoʊloʊ/ noun

Definition

A genus of marine polychaete worms with distinctive paired appendages, found in deep ocean sediments.

Etymology

From Greek 'a-' (without) + 'cholos' (bile), though the etymology is disputed; the name was assigned by early marine biologists in the 19th century despite unclear derivation.

Kelly Says

Despite its scientific name suggesting 'without bile,' acholoe worms have nothing to do with digestion—the name is a lexical mystery that shows how early naturalists sometimes assigned names first and worried about meaning later!

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