teliferous

T1E1L1I1F4E1R1O1U1S1

adjective

Having nematocysts or stinging cells.

OriginLatin tēlum →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

adjectiveteliferous (not comparable)
  1. not comparableobsoletebiologyHaving nematocysts or stinging cells.

    Internally, it stands absolutely alone amongst our teliferous British species in possessing paired darts or gypsobela within what is now a practically simple though distally bifid stylophore or dart-sac.

    1921 December 8, John W. Taylor, “Part 24”, in Monograph of the Land & Freshwater Mollusca of the British Isles, Leeds, West Yorkshire: Taylor Bros., Publishers, page 115
    2 more examples

    The occurring British forms, though varying much in proportion and contour, fall naturally into four groups, marked by the respective characteristics of (1) One simple sac; (2) A single bi-lobed sac; (3) Two simple teliferous sacs; (4) Two sacs, each bi-lobed (fig. 3).

    1883 July, Charles Ashford, “The Darts of British Helicidæ: Part I., Introductory”, in Journal of Conchology, volume IV, number 3, Leeds, West Yorkshire: Taylor Bros, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 70

    The introduction, a minute description of the organization of the sea-anemones, and in particular of their unique and extraordinary "teliferous" system, has been regarded as the most sustained piece of original writing of a technically scientific character which Philip Gosse has left behind him.

    1890, Edmund Gosse, The Life of Philip Henry Gosse F.R.S., London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., Ltd., page 290

Origin

  1. Latintēlum“dart, spear, missile, offensive weapon, javelin”
  2. Englishteliferous

From Latin tēlum (“dart, spear, missile, offensive weapon, javelin”) + -ferous (“producing, containing”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with teliferous

carboniferousseminiferouscruciferousmetalliferousfossiliferousodoriferousacetabuliferousacidiferousaeriferousaestiferousagatiferousalbuminiferousaliferousalkaliferousalumiferousaluminiferousamberiferousamentiferousammonitiferousamygdaliferousamyliferousanatiferousangeliferousantenniferous
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

teliferous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/teliferous

MLA

“teliferous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/teliferous. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “teliferous,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/teliferous.

Source: teliferous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.