Coenosarc

/ˈsiːnoʊsɑrk/ noun

Definition

The common fleshy tissue or body mass shared by all the individual organisms in a colonial animal, like in corals or hydroids.

Etymology

From Greek koinos (common) + sarx (flesh), directly meaning 'common flesh,' used in marine biology to describe the unified tissue connecting colonial polyps.

Kelly Says

In a sea coral, the coenosarc is the living tissue that connects all the individual polyps—it's like they're all sharing one body and nervous system even though they look like separate creatures.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.