Meanings
plural onychophorans
- biologyAny of many wormlike carnivorous ecdysozoan animals of the phylum Onychophora.First known use 19th c.
When India collided with Asia (incidentally creating the Himalayas), the onychophorans could spread northwards from India instead.
2016 October 12, Susannah Lydon, “How did the velvet worm cross the world? The answer lies in amber”, in The GuardianSynonyms: velvet worm
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny of many wormlike carnivorous ecdysozoan animals of the phylum Onychophora.
More synonyms by meaning
nounany of numerous velvety-skinned wormlike carnivorous animals common in tropical forests having characteristics of both arthropods and annelid worms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- translingualOnychophora
- Englishonychophoran
From translingual Onychophora (corresponding to onycho- + -phore) + -an.
More words from translingual
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Japanese 有爪動物
- 有爪動物 (yūsō dōbutsu)a carnivorous ecdysozoan worm
Māori ngāokeoke
- ngāokeokea carnivorous ecdysozoan worm
Polish pazurnica, pratchawiec
- pazurnicaa carnivorous ecdysozoan worm
- pratchawieca carnivorous ecdysozoan worm
Portuguese onicóforo
- onicóforoa carnivorous ecdysozoan worm
Spanish onicóforo
- onicóforoa carnivorous ecdysozoan worm
Swedish klomask
- klomaska carnivorous ecdysozoan worm
Cite this entry
onychophoran. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onychophoran
“onychophoran.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onychophoran. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “onychophoran,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onychophoran.
Source: onychophoran on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.