Definition

Adjective: 1. Having a body divided into successive segments or metameres: This term describes an organism whose body is organized into a series of repeating, similar units along its length. This structural pattern is characteristic of certain animal groups, such as annelids (earthworms) and arthropods (lobsters, insects).

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Earthworms are classic examples of metameric animals.
  • The metameric organization of the lobster's body is evident in its repeated appendages.
  • In biology class, we studied the metameric segmentation of certain invertebrates.

Advanced Usage

• Metameric Segmentation: This is the specific biological process or condition of having a metameric body plan.
  • The evolution of metameric segmentation was a key development for many animal phyla.

Variants and Related Words

• Metamere (noun): An individual body segment or unit in a metameric animal.
  • Each metamere in an earthworm contains a set of repeated organs.
• Metamerism (noun): The state or condition of being metameric; segmentation.
  • The principle of metamerism is fundamental to understanding annelid anatomy.

Synonyms

• Segmented: Divided into segments.
• Modular: Composed of standardized units or sections (used more generally in biology and design).

Notes on Meaning

• The term is primarily used in zoology and biology. It is a technical, scientific descriptor and is not commonly used in everyday language.
• It specifically refers to a structural, anatomical feature of an organism's body.

Adjective

1. having the body divided into successive metameres or segments, as in earthworms or lobsters