Home British & World English protovertebrate

Definition of protovertebrate in English:

protovertebrate

noun

  • Zoology. A member of a group of animals from which vertebrates evolved; an animal considered to represent, or to be related to, an evolutionary ancestor of the vertebrates; a very primitive vertebrate.

adjective

  • Zoology. Of or relating to a protovertebrate or protovertebrates.

Origin

Late 19th century; earliest use found in Theodore Gill (1837–1914). From proto- + vertebrate.

Pronunciation

protovertebrate

/ˌprəʊtəʊˈvəːtɪbrət//ˌprəʊtəʊˈvəːtɪbreɪt/