amoeba

American  

[uh-mee-buh] / əˈmi bə /

noun

PLURAL

amoebas, amoebae

1. a variant of ameba.

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amoeba British  

/ əˈmiːbə /

noun

1. any protozoan of the phylum Rhizopoda , esp any of the genus Amoeba, able to change shape because of the movements of cell processes (pseudopodia). They live in fresh water or soil or as parasites in man and animals

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amoeba Scientific  

/ ə-mē′bə /

PLURAL

amoebas

1. Any of various one-celled aquatic or parasitic protozoans of the genus Amoeba or related genera, having no definite form and consisting of a mass of protoplasm containing one or more nuclei surrounded by a flexible outer membrane. Amoebas move by means of pseudopods.

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amoeba Cultural  

1. An animal composed of only one cell that has no fixed shape. It is the best known of the single-celled animals, or protozoa.

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Discover More

The term amoeba is sometimes used to refer to something with an indefinite, changeable shape.

Other Word Forms

• amoebic adjective

Etymology

Origin of amoeba

C19: from New Latin, from Greek amoibē change, from ameibein to change, exchange

Compare meaning

How does amoeba compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• amoeba vs. paramecium

Example Sentences

In fact, they immediately set themselves on the task of pleasing Carol and those like her, along with solving the riddle of their immunity, so they can absorb the stragglers into their joy amoeba.

From Salon

In the meter stick analogy, amplifying the signal makes the amoeba appear larger so that even coarse measurement markings can capture it accurately.

From Science Daily

The culprit was Naegleria fowleri - commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba - an infection usually contracted through the nose in freshwater and so rare that most doctors never encounter a case in their entire careers.

From BBC

“The European Parliament is a bit like The Blob,” she said, referring to the 1958 film about a massive amoeba that threatens to destroy the world.

From BBC

It was decades after decades of trying to contain something as organic as music, like forcing an amoeba to hold a shape.

From Los Angeles Times