PORTUGUESE MAN-OF-WAR • DICCIONARIO INGLES.COM • Definition of Portuguese man-of-war

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/pˈɔrtʃəgˌiz mæn-əv-wɔr/ Listen

adjective

Portuguese adj. Of or pertaining to Portugal, or its inhabitants.

Portuguese man-of-war. (Zool.) See Physalia.

noun

Man-of-war n. (pl. men-of-war)

A government vessel employed for the purposes of war, esp. one of large size; a ship of war.

Synonyms: ship of the line.

The Portuguese man-of-war.

Synonyms: , jellyfish.

Man-of-war hawk (Zool.), the frigate bird.

Man-of-war's man, a sailor serving in a ship of war.

Portuguese man-of-war (Zool.), any species of the genus Physalia; it is a hydrozoan having both medusa and polyp stages present in a single colony. It floats on the surface of the sea by a buoyant bladderlike structure, from which dangle multiple long tentacles with stinging cells. Its can cause severe rashes when it comes in contact with humans swimming in the area. See Physalia.

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Etymology of 'Portuguese man-of-war'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Portuguese man-of-war" Quotes from Famous Books

... sail was hoisted by a savage hand, the little Portuguese man-of-war, that frailest and most graceful nautilus boat, had skimmed over the seas with all its feathery sails set in the pleasant breeze; and before the great British Admiralty marked its anchors with the Broad Arrow, mussels and pinna had been accustomed to anchor themselves by flukes ...

— The Continental Monthly, Vol 3 No 3, March 1863 - Devoted To Literature And National Policy • Various

... last letter I think I mentioned to you that I had worked out and sent home to the President of the Linnean Society, through Captain Stanley, an account of Physalia, or Portuguese man-of-war as it is called, an animal whose structure and affinities had never been worked out. The careful investigation I made gave rise to several new ideas covering the whole class of animals to which this creature belongs, and these ideas I have had the good fortune ...

— The Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley Volume 1 • Leonard Huxley

... and a Portuguese man-of-war was sent out to cruise. Kid met with her, and fought her about six hours, gallantly enough; but finding her too strong to be taken, he quitted her, for he was able to run away from her when he would. Then he went to a place called Porco, where he watered the ship, ...

— Great Pirate Stories • Various