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ameba

or a·moe·ba

[uh-mee-buh]
See more synonyms for ameba on Thesaurus.com
noun, plural a·me·bas, a·me·bae [uh-mee-bee] /əˈmi bi/.
  1. any of numerous freshwater, marine, or parasitic one-celled protozoa of the order Amoebida, characterized by a granular nucleus surrounded by a jellylike mass of cytoplasm that forms temporary extensions, or pseudopodia, by which the organism moves, engulfs food particles, and forms food vacuoles.
  2. a protozoan of the genus Amoeba, inhabiting bottom vegetation of freshwater ponds and streams: used widely in laboratory studies.

Origin of ameba

< New Latin amoeba < Greek amoibḗ change, alternation, akin to ameíbein to exchange
Related formsa·me·ba·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for ameba

cell, flagellate, organism, plasmodium, ameba, euglena, paramecium, ciliate, amoeba, sporozoan, stentor

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Historical Examples of ameba

British Dictionary definitions for ameba

ameba

noun plural -bae (-biː) or -bas
  1. the usual US spelling of amoeba
Derived Formsamebic, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
ameba in Medicine

ameba

n. pl. a•me•bas
  1. A protozoa of the genus Amoeba and of related genera, occurring in soil and water and parasitic in animals.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
ameba in Science

ameba

[ə-mē′bə]
  1. Another spelling of amoeba.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.