Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of various microscopic aquatic invertebrate animals of the phylum Rotifera, having at the head end a wheellike ring of cilia used for feeding and locomotion.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The name-giving genus of Rotifera, based upon a species called R. vulgaris, and now placed in the family Philodinidæ, including forms which swim or creep like a leech, and have a forked, jointed, telescopic foot.
  • noun Hence [lowercase] One of the Rotifera (which see); any wheel-animalcule.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Zoöl.) One of the Rotifera. See Illust. in Appendix.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any of many minute aquatic multicellular organisms, of the phylum Rotifera, that have a ring of cilia resembling a wheel

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun minute aquatic multicellular organisms having a ciliated wheel-like organ for feeding and locomotion; constituents of freshwater plankton

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From New Latin Rotifera, phylum name : Latin rota, wheel; see rota + Latin -fer, -fer.]

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Examples

  • To increase their chances of success, the microbial payloads should contain a variety of organisms with various environmental tolerances, and hardy multicellular organisms such as rotifer eggs to jumpstart higher evolution.

    PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories PhysOrg Team 2010

  • To increase their chances of success, the microbial payloads should contain a variety of organisms with various environmental tolerances, and hardy multicellular organisms such as rotifer eggs to jumpstart higher evolution.

    PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

  • To increase their chances of success, the microbial payloads should contain a variety of organisms with various environmental tolerances, and hardy multicellular organisms such as rotifer eggs to jumpstart higher evolution.

    PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

  • Desiccation survival of the eggs of the rotifer Adineta vaga (Davis, 1873).

    We are going to freeze dry you all! AYDIN 2009

  • Shown here: 2001: Fresh water rotifer feeding among debris (200x), Darkfield.

    Boing Boing 2009

  • Â This could mean big trouble if you are a rotifer or a mud snail: Reproduction is as important as survival to any particular individual, and if the chances to do so are impaired then biological fitness is automatically lowered.

    Carin Bondar: No Eggs? No Problem! Carin Bondar 2012

  • This could mean big trouble if you are a rotifer or a mud snail: Reproduction is as important as survival to any particular individual, and if the chances to do so are impaired then biological fitness is automatically lowered.

    Carin Bondar: No Eggs? No Problem! Carin Bondar 2012

  • Desiccation survival of the eggs of the rotifer Adineta vaga (Davis, 1873).

    Archive 2009-09-01 AYDIN 2009

  • ÂHuman males, unlike their snail and rotifer counterparts, actually seek out sterility in a potential partner... and for good reason: could you imagine if each of your own sexual conquests had resulted in offspring?

    Carin Bondar: No Eggs? No Problem! Carin Bondar 2012

  • Human males, unlike their snail and rotifer counterparts, actually seek out sterility in a potential partner... and for good reason: could you imagine if each of your own sexual conquests had resulted in offspring?

    Carin Bondar: No Eggs? No Problem! Carin Bondar 2012

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