Chordata
noun plural
Chor·da·ta
kȯr-ˈdät-ə 
-ˈdāt-ə
-ˈdāt-ə
: a phylum comprising animals having at least at some stage of development a more or less well-developed notochord, a dorsally situated central nervous system, and gill clefts in the walls of the pharynx and including the vertebrates, lancelets, and tunicates
Cite this Entry
“Chordata.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/Chordata. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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