1. Plural of medusa; the free-swimming, umbrella-shaped form of a jellyfish or other cnidarian.
Usage: biology; zoology
2. In classical mythology, the plural of Medusa; female monsters with snakes for hair whose gaze turned people to stone.
Usage: mythology; classical

Examples

• The medusae drifted through the ocean currents with their tentacles trailing behind them.
• Marine biologists studied the medusae to understand jellyfish reproduction and behavior.
• During the summer, swimmers were warned about medusae washing ashore on the beach.
• The medusae form is the sexually reproductive stage in the jellyfish life cycle.
• In Greek mythology, the medusae were fearsome creatures that guarded sacred places.