jellyfish
Jellyfish (noun) means a soft-bodied, mostly transparent sea creature with a bell-shaped body and trailing tentacles, often capable of stinging. Example: “A jellyfish drifted past the swimmers, its tentacles trailing behind it.”
How to use jellyfish
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe soft, see-through sea animal that can sting you with its tentacles.
Despite the name, jellyfish are not fish — they have no backbone, gills, or fins; they're more closely related to corals and anemones.
Word forms
jellyfish plural, jellyfishes plural
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
A _____ drifted past the swimmers, its tentacles trailing behind it.
Etymology
From jelly + fish, describing an aquatic creature with a gelatinous, jelly-like body — even though jellyfish are not true fish at all.
Rhymes for jellyfish
See all rhymes for jellyfish →Frequently asked questions
What does “jellyfish” mean?
The word “jellyfish” means a soft-bodied, mostly transparent sea creature with a bell-shaped body and trailing tentacles, often capable of stinging. In plain terms, the soft, see-through sea animal that can sting you with its tentacles.
How do you pronounce “jellyfish”?
“Jellyfish” is pronounced JEH-lee-fihsh (/ˈd͡ʒɛliˌfɪʃ/ in IPA).
How do you use “jellyfish” in a sentence?
Here is “jellyfish” used in a sentence: “A jellyfish drifted past the swimmers, its tentacles trailing behind it.”
What part of speech is “jellyfish”?
“Jellyfish” is a noun.
Where does the word “jellyfish” come from?
The word “jellyfish” comes from Latin. From jelly + fish, describing an aquatic creature with a gelatinous, jelly-like body — even though jellyfish are not true fish at all.
Is “jellyfish” a common word?
“Jellyfish” is an uncommon word in modern English.
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