Oligochaetous

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing organisms that exhibit a reduced number of bristles along their body as part of the annelid class
2. Pertaining to a type of worm that is identifiable by having few hair-like structures for locomotion and adaptation
3. Characterized by possessing a small number of bristle-like structures on the body, typical of certain annelid worms

Etymology: Oligochaetous is a plain technical formation: it takes "oligochaete," the name for the group of annelid worms that includes earthworms, and adds the English adjectival suffix "-ous," meaning "having the characteristics of." An oligochaete is so named for its relatively sparse bristles, the small setae that protrude from each body segment and help the worm grip the soil. The word therefore describes anything belonging to, or resembling, that group. Its ancestry lies in Greek: "oligos" means "few" or "little," and "chaite" means "hair" or "bristle," so the whole name translates roughly as "few-bristled." The irony is that the worms' defining feature is shared by the whole class, so the name describes a trait the group holds in common rather than marking any worm out from its relatives.

Synonyms: few-bristled, limited-bristle, sparse-bristle, reduced bristle, slim-bristle