- P. physalis the Portuguese man-of-war, a jellyfishlike animal consisting of a complex colony of individual members that can inflict extremely painful stings. SYN: Portuguese man-of-war.
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phy·sa·lia fī-'sā-lē-ə n
1) cap a genus (family Physaliidae) of large oceanic siphonophores including the Portuguese man-of-wars
2) any siphonophore of the genus Physalia
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Phy·sa·lia (fi-saґle-ə) a genus of invertebrates of the phylum Cnidaria, class Hydrozoa, all called Portuguese man-of-war. All species have a large purple air sac that allows them to float on the surface of the water, and from which many long tentacles of stinging polyps hang. The tentacles are equipped with nematocysts that are able to penetrate skin and cause intense pain; paralysis can result from numerous stings.Medical dictionary. 2011.