rotifer

noun

ro·​ti·​fer ˈrō-tə-fər How to pronounce rotifer (audio)
: any of a class (Rotifera of the phylum Aschelminthes) of minute usually microscopic but many-celled chiefly freshwater aquatic invertebrates having the anterior end modified into a retractile disk bearing circles of strong cilia that often give the appearance of rapidly revolving wheels

Examples of rotifer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Microscopic animals called rotifers, for example, require less than a millionth of a calorie to make one offspring. Carl Zimmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2024 One candidate, a microscopic animal called a rotifer that is a natural predator in estuaries, looks promising. Patrick Huyghe, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 The ones that help the rotifer survive are kept around in the population--some perform useful functions, like breaking certain chemical bonds--while those that don't help die off. Discover Magazine, 13 Feb. 2012 So if the environment favored sexuality or asexuality the frequencies should change over time as there is heritable variation for the trait within the rotifer populations. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 18 Oct. 2010 See all Example Sentences for rotifer 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rotifer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Latin rota + -fer

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rotifer was in 1777

Dictionary Entries Near rotifer

Cite this Entry

“Rotifer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rotifer. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.

Kids Definition

rotifer

noun
ro·​ti·​fer ˈrōt-ə-fər How to pronounce rotifer (audio)
: any of a class of tiny aquatic invertebrate animals with circles of cilia on one end that look like moving wheels when moving

Medical Definition

rotifer

noun
ro·​ti·​fer ˈrōt-ə-fər How to pronounce rotifer (audio)
: any member of the class Rotifera

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