Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
ribbon worm

ribbon worm

8.9
A long soft sea animal that can stretch and reach prey with a thin mouth tube
  • noun
translation icon : gusano cinta
  • The ribbon worm is often found in shallow waters.

Examples

  • The ribbon worm can extend its proboscis to catch prey.

  • Have you ever seen a ribbon worm before?

  • Marine biologists discovered a new type of ribbon worm off the coast.

  • Some species of ribbon worm are among the longest animals in the world.

  • The ribbon worm can elongate its body to hunt for prey in the ocean.

  • In tidal pools, we observed a ribbon worm using its proboscis to capture small fish.

  • Scientists are studying the ribbon worm to understand its unique ability to regenerate its body.

Synonyms

worm
vsribbon worm
299 1.0

A small soft animal without legs that lives in soil or water

is a specific marine species type with a distinct extendable feeding organ
nemertean
vsribbon worm
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A soft sea worm with no body sections and a long feeding tube that can stretch

is the common descriptive name rather than the scientific phylum term
proboscis worm
vsribbon worm
  • Specialized
9.9

A soft sea animal like a thin worm that stretches a long head to catch food

is the general common term rather than the scientific phylum label
nemertine
vsribbon worm
  • Specialized
9.9

A soft sea worm with a long tube that can stretch to catch food

is the everyday descriptive name rather than the formal taxonomic label
Nemertina
vsribbon worm
  • Specialized
9.9

A long thin sea worm like a ribbon that uses a tube-like mouth to catch small animals

is the nontechnical label for the same animals rather than a formal phylum name
Nemertea
vsribbon worm
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of mostly sea worms with long bodies and a tube for feeding

is the everyday descriptive name used outside scientific classification

Surface Forms

ribbon worm singular
ribbon worms plural

Morphology

ribbon + worm

The compound is compositional: 'ribbon' (a narrow, flat strip) + 'worm' denotes a worm that is ribbon-like in shape, so the core meaning is directly inferable from the constituents. Noun+noun descriptive compounds of shape are a common, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both words should understand the MWE.

Etymology

Ribbon worm comes from how the animal looks: a sea worm with a long, flat, ribbon-like body that can stretch and curl, and a thin tube it can push out to catch food. So the name simply describes 'a long, ribbon-shaped sea worm'.