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tardigrade

(tär′di grād′)

noun

any of a phylum (Tardigrada) of minute water animals with segmented bodies and four pairs of unsegmented legs, often regarded as primitive arthropods

Origin: Fr < L tardigradus, slow-paced: see tardy & grade

See tardigrade in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Any of various slow-moving, microscopic invertebrates of the phylum Tardigrada, related to the arthropods and having four body segments and eight legs and living in water or damp moss. Also called water bear.

adjective

Of or belonging to the Tardigrada.
Slow in action; slow-moving.

Origin:

Origin: New Latin Tardigrada, phylum name

Origin: , from neuter pl. of Latin tardigradus, slow-moving

Origin: : tardus, slow

Origin: + -gradus, walking, moving (from gradī, to go; see transgress)

Origin: . Adj., sense 2, from Latin tardigradus

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