Spirorbis
/ˌspaɪrəˈɔːrbɪs/noun
A genus of small marine bristle worms that live in coiled, calcareous tubes attached to submerged surfaces.
Did you know?Spirorbis worms build clockwise or counterclockwise tubes, and their microscopic coils can become abundant enough to form visible patterns on rocks, seaweed, and shells.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
speîra
“A coil, twist, or spiral.”
Classical Latin
Latin
spīra
“A coil, winding, or spiral form, borrowed from Greek.”
Classical Latin
Latin
orbis
“A circle, ring, disk, or rounded circuit.”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Spirorbis
“A taxonomic formation combining spīra, “coil,” with orbis, “circle.””
Modern English
English
Spirorbis
“The accepted genus name for small tube-building marine polychaete worms.”