ˈpȯ(r)pəd.ə noun
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek porpē brooch; probably akin to Greek peirein to pierce, peran to pass through — more at fare
: a genus of small bright-colored siphonophores that float in the warmer parts of the ocean and have a large feeding zooid and a float in the center surrounded by smaller nutritive and reproductive zooids and by slender dactylozooids near the margin
• por·pi·toid -)pəˌtȯid adjective or noun