[ si:'lɛnt(ə)rət , -reɪt ]
■ noun Zoology an aquatic invertebrate animal, typically having a tube- or cup-shaped body with a single opening ringed with tentacles, belonging to a phylum (Cnidaria, formerly Coelenterata) that includes jellyfishes, corals, and sea anemones.
Origin
C19: from mod. L. Coelenterata , from Gk koilos 'hollow' + enteron 'intestine'.