Lancelet
/ˈlæn.səl.ɪt/noun
A small, slender marine animal related to the vertebrates, especially of the genus Branchiostoma.
Did you know?The name comes from its lance-like shape, and these animals are so evolutionarily important that they help reveal what the earliest chordates may have looked like.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin
Latin
lancea
“spear, lance”
Old French
Old French
lance
“spear, lance”
Middle English
English
lance
“a spear or piercing weapon”
19th Century
English
lancelet
“a small lance-shaped creature”