1. the free-swimming larval stage of mollusks, characterized by a ciliated velum used for locomotion and feeding
Usage: biology; marine biology

Examples

• The veligers drifted in the ocean currents for several weeks before settling.
• Marine biologists collected veligers from the plankton samples.
• The oyster veligers eventually developed into juvenile mollusks.
• Researchers studied how temperature affects veliger development.
• The veligers used their ciliated structures to capture food particles.
• After metamorphosis, the veligers lost their swimming ability.