1. A specialized stinging cell found in cnidarians (such as jellyfish, sea anemones, and corals) that contains a coiled, venomous filament used to capture prey or defend against predators.
Usage: biology; also called nematocyst

Examples

• Jellyfish use cnidocysts to paralyze small fish and plankton.
• The cnidocyst fires its barbed filament when triggered by contact with prey.
• Sea anemones rely on cnidocysts to capture food particles from the water.
• Each cnidocyst contains venom that helps the organism subdue its prey.
• Marine biologists study cnidocysts to understand how cnidarians hunt.
• The tentacles of a sea nettle are covered with thousands of cnidocysts.