kȯrˈdäd.ə, -ād.ə noun plural
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin chorda cord + New Latin -ata — more at cord
: a phylum or subkingdom comprising animals having at least at some stage of development a more or less well-developed notochord, dorsally situated central nervous system, and gill clefts in the walls of the pharynx and including the vertebrates, lancelets, tunicates, and usually the hemichordates