Gorgoniaceous

/ɡɔːɡoʊniˈeɪʃəs/ adjective

Definition

Characteristic of or resembling the corals of the family Gorgoniacea; having the structure or properties of sea fans.

Etymology

From 'Gorgoniacea' + '-ous' (a suffix meaning 'full of' or 'characterized by'). A standard biological descriptive formation.

Kelly Says

The '-ous' suffix creates descriptors—'dangerous,' 'gorgeous,' 'vigorous'—so 'gorgoniaceous' means 'full of gorgonia characteristics,' which is pretty economical naming!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

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