PHYLUM (phyla)

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does phylum mean? 

• PHYLUM (noun)
  The noun PHYLUM has 2 senses:

1. (linguistics) a large group of languages that are historically related
2. (biology) the major taxonomic group of animals and plants; contains classes

  Familiarity information: PHYLUM used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PHYLUM (noun)

Meaning:

(linguistics) a large group of languages that are historically related

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("phylum" is a kind of...):

social group (people sharing some social relation)

Domain category:

linguistics (the scientific study of language)

Meaning:

(biology) the major taxonomic group of animals and plants; contains classes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("phylum" is a kind of...):

taxon; taxonomic category; taxonomic group (animal or plant group having natural relations)

Meronyms (members of "phylum"):

subphylum ((biology) a taxonomic group ranking between a phylum and a class)

class ((biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more orders)

Domain category:

biological science; biology (the science that studies living organisms)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "phylum"):

phylum Pyrrophyta; Pyrrophyta (a division of lower plants comprising unicellular and biflagellate algae that form starchy compounds)

phylum Pogonophora; Pogonophora (beard worms)

phylum Rotifera; Rotifera (a phylum including: rotifers)

Aschelminthes; Nematoda; phylum Aschelminthes; phylum Nematoda (unsegmented worms: roundworms; threadworms; eelworms)

Annelida; phylum Annelida (segmented worms: earthworms; lugworms; leeches)

Mollusca; phylum Mollusca (gastropods; bivalves; cephalopods; chitons)

Phoronida; Phoronidea; phylum Phoronida (small phylum of wormlike marine animals)

Bryozoa; phylum Bryozoa; polyzoa (marine or freshwater animals that form colonies of zooids)

Ectoprocta; phylum Ectoprocta (coextensive with or a subphylum of Bryozoa)

Endoprocta; Entoprocta; phylum Entoprocta (sometimes considered a subphylum of Bryozoa)

Cycliophora; phylum Cycliophora (tiny marine organisms each the size of a period found in great numbers on lobsters' lips; identified tentatively in 1995 as a new phylum or as possible link between Entoprocta and Ectoprocta)

Brachiopoda; phylum Brachiopoda (marine invertebrates that resemble mollusks)

phylum Sipuncula; Sipuncula (peanut worms)

Echinodermata; phylum Echinodermata (radially symmetrical marine invertebrates including e.g. starfish and sea urchins and sea cucumbers)

Nemertea; Nemertina; phylum Nemertea; phylum Nemertina (proboscis worms)

phylum Platyhelminthes; Platyhelminthes (flatworms)

phylum Protozoa; Protozoa (in some classifications considered a superphylum or a subkingdom; comprises flagellates; ciliates; sporozoans; amoebas; foraminifers)

Cryptophyta; phylum Cryptophyta (a phylum in the kingdom Protoctista)

Chordata; phylum Chordata (comprises true vertebrates and animals having a notochord)

Cephalochordata; subphylum Cephalochordata (lancelets)

subphylum Tunicata; subphylum Urochorda; subphylum Urochordata; Tunicata; Urochorda; Urochordata (tunicates)

Craniata; subphylum Craniata; subphylum Vertebrata; Vertebrata (fishes; amphibians; reptiles; birds; mammals)

Arthropoda; phylum Arthropoda (jointed-foot invertebrates: arachnids; crustaceans; insects; millipedes; centipedes)

Pentastomida; subphylum Pentastomida (tongue worms)

phylum Porifera; Porifera (coextensive with the subkingdom Parazoa: sponges)

Cnidaria; Coelenterata; phylum Cnidaria; phylum Coelenterata (hydras; polyps; jellyfishes; sea anemones; corals)

Ctenophora; phylum Ctenophora (comb jellies; sea acorns; a small phylum formerly considered a class of Coelenterata)

Acanthocephala; phylum Acanthocephala (phylum or class of elongated wormlike parasites that live in the intestines of vertebrates: spiny-headed worms)

Chaetognatha; phylum Chaetognatha (arrowworms: a group of small active transparent marine worms)

division ((botany) taxonomic unit of plants corresponding to a phylum)

Holonyms ("phylum" is a member of...):

kingdom (the highest taxonomic group into which organisms are grouped; one of five biological categories: Monera or Protoctista or Plantae or Fungi or Animalia)