- a variation of ameba.
amoeba
Americannoun
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amoebas,
plural
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amoebae
plural
noun
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amoebas
plural
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The term amoeba is sometimes used to refer to something with an indefinite, changeable shape.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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:
Explanation
An amoeba is a tiny, single-celled organism. You need a powerful microscope to see an amoeba. An amoeba is distinguished by the fact that it has only one cell, and that the shape of its body is vague and irregular. An amoeba stretches and changes shape as it moves, and reproduces by splitting itself in two. The amoeba was discovered in 1757 and named almost 100 years later, from the Greek root amoibe, or "change."
Vocabulary lists containing amoeba
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Inside the amoeba, these pathogens can survive in a kind of safe shelter, shielded from disinfectants that would normally destroy them.
From Science Daily ● May 2, 2026
A thoroughly uninflected, completely random space is not natural; after all, even an amoeba has a nucleus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
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 ● Nov. 26, 2025
From a bejeweled Elvis jumpsuit to a look made entirely of neon green tassels meant to resemble an amoeba, her vision was avant-garde, playful and undeniably multidimensional.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2025
There was a hint of a smile about her mouth as she looked down at her ultrasound picture at the grainy blob/glorified amoeba.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
They point to climate change, aging water infrastructure, and weak monitoring systems as factors that could allow dangerous amoebae to spread and become harder to control.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 6, 2026
Many of these amoebae thrive in warm conditions, so as water temperatures increase, they are likely to expand into new regions where they were once uncommon.
From Science Daily ● May 2, 2026
A deeper understanding of how giant viruses infect and destroy amoebae could eventually help researchers develop new approaches to preventing or treating these infections.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 19, 2026
Rising global temperatures are expected to make the problem worse by allowing heat loving amoebae to spread into regions where they were once uncommon.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 25, 2026
I suppose it all started when Lorraine and I and these two amoebae called Dennis Kobin and Norton Kelly were hot on those phone gags last September.
From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel
Visitors to Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada are being warned against submerging themselves in the hot springs below the Hoover Dam due to the risk of infection by deadly brain-eating amoebas.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 13, 2023
Most are microscopic, single-celled organisms like amoebas, algae, and diatoms, but larger multicellular protists exist -- such as kelp, slime moulds, and red algae.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2023
Although kelp behaves and looks like a plant, it’s a protist, the same group as single-cell amoebas.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 8, 2023
Although the ones they studied were infectious only to amoebas, the researchers said that there was a risk that other viruses trapped in the permafrost for millennia could spread to humans and other animals.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 2, 2022
Almost the moment my mom left, Otto and I came down with amoebas.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
