1. Specialized stinging cells found in cnidarians (such as jellyfish, sea anemones, and corals) that contain venom and are used to capture prey and defend against predators.
Usage: biology; plural form of cnidocyst; also called nematocysts

Examples

• Jellyfish use cnidocysts to paralyze small fish and plankton.
• The cnidocysts of sea anemones contain toxins that can cause painful stings.
• When a cnidarian touches prey, its cnidocysts fire harpoon-like structures into the victim.
• Coral polyps rely on cnidocysts for both feeding and protection.
• Scientists study cnidocysts to understand how these ancient organisms capture food.
• The venom released by cnidocysts can be potent enough to affect humans.
• Cnidocysts are one of the defining features of the phylum Cnidaria.