zoothomehttp://www.oed.com/dictionary/zoothome_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_usezoothome, n.
Revised 2017

zoothomenoun

Now rare.
  1. 1872–
    A group of individual coral polyps living in a colony; cf. zoophyte n. 1.
    1. 1872
      The compound mass produced by budding..was called..a Zoöphyte. As a substitute the term Zoöthome may be employed.
      J. D. Dana, Corals & Coral Islands i. 48
    2. 1882
      The beauty of a fine zoothome (that is, a number of coral polyps on a branch of coral), fully expanded.., is almost indescribable.
      American Monthly Microscopical Journal vol. 3 221/1
    3. 1963
      Zoothome, any group of individuals in a living coral.
      I. F. Henderson & W. D. Henderson, Dictionary of Biological Terms (ed. 8) 637/2

Originally published as part of the entry for zoo-, comb. form

zoo-, comb. form was revised in June 2017.