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medusa

1. The gorgon; or one of the Gorgons whose hair was changed into serpents, after which all who looked upon her were turned into stone.

(Science: zoology) Any free swimming acaleph; a jellyfish.

The larger medusae belong to the discophora, and are sometimes called covered-eyed medusae; others, known as naked-eyed medusae, belong to the hydroidea, and are usually developed by budding from hidroids. See Discophora, Hydroidea, and hydromedusa.

(Science: medicine) Medusa bud A cluster of stars in the constellation perseus. It contains the bright star algol.

Origin: L, fr. Gr.