notochord
noun/ˈnoʊtəˌkɔrd/
Frequency rank: #19,860 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)
Meaning
A flexible, rod-like structure that provides support in the embryos of all chordates, later replaced by the vertebral column in vertebrates.
Example sentence
During embryonic development, the notochord forms the structural foundation that later guides the formation of the vertebral column.
Synonyms & related words
More words in ranks 19,801–19,900
- bewilderto cause someone to become confused or puzzled
- caramelizeto heat sugar or food containing sugar until it turns brown and develops a rich, sweet flavor.
- fossilizationthe process by which organic remains become preserved as fossils through mineral replacement over time.
- haliteA naturally occurring mineral form of sodium chloride; rock salt.
- jejunumThe middle section of the small intestine, between the duodenum and the ileum.
- oviparousProducing young by means of eggs that hatch outside the mother's body.
- soteriologyThe branch of theology concerned with the doctrine of salvation.
- syllabaryA set of written symbols in which each character represents a syllable rather than a single sound or a whole word.
- emulsifyto combine two liquids that do not normally mix into a smooth, stable mixture.
- eskerA long, narrow ridge of gravel and sand deposited by a stream that once flowed beneath or within a glacier.