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Definition of amphioxus

amphioxus

/ˌæmfiˈɑːksəs/
am · phi · ox · us
Plural:amphioxi
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amphioxus Lexical Profile

amphioxus Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A small, translucent, fish-like marine chordate of the subphylum Cephalochordata, notable for retaining a notochord throughout its life and lacking a true head or brain.

Example

"In evolutionary biology, the amphioxus is extensively studied to understand the origins of vertebrate anatomy because of its primitive chordate features."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for amphioxus

• Rhymes for amphioxus

• Nearby Words

amoeba
amorpha
amphibian
amphioxus
amphisbaenian
amplifier
amritsar

Word Origin & Etymology

From Modern Latin, derived from Greek 'amphi-' (both) and 'oxys' (sharp), referring to the animal's body shape which is pointed at both the anterior and posterior ends.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Amphioxus. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/amphioxus
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