Medusa
Medusa , noun
[Latin, from Greek {not transcribed}.]
1.
(Class. Mythology) The Gorgon; or one of the Gorgons whose hair was changed into serpents, after which all who looked upon her were turned into stone.
2.
(Zoology) Any free swimming acaleph; a jellyfish.
The larger medusae belong to the Discophora, and are sometimes called covered-eyed medusae; others, known as naked-eyed medusae, belong to the Hydroidea, and are usually developed by budding from hydroids. See Discophora, Hydroidea, and Hydromedusa.