[ sʌɪ'fɒnəfɔ: ]
■ noun Zoology a colonial marine coelenterate of the order Siphonophora, having a float or swimming bell for drifting or swimming on the open sea, e.g. a Portuguese man-of-war.
Origin
from mod. L. Siphonophora , from Gk siphōn 'tube' + pherein 'to bear'.