ameba
or a·moe·ba
[ uh-mee-buh ]
/ əˈmi bə /
noun, plural a·me·bas, a·me·bae [uh-mee-bee] /əˈmi bi/.
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.
a protozoan of the genus Amoeba, inhabiting bottom vegetation of freshwater ponds and streams: used widely in laboratory studies.
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
amc, amchitka, amd, amdg, amdt., ameba, amebiasis, amebic, amebic abscess, amebic colitis, amebic dysentery
Origin of ameba
< New Latin amoeba < Greek amoibḗ change, alternation, akin to ameíbein to exchange
Related forms
a·me·ba·like, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for ameba
British Dictionary definitions for ameba
Derived Forms
amebic, adjectiveCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Medicine definitions for ameba
ameba
n. pl. a•me•bas
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.
Science definitions for ameba
ameba
[ ə-mē′bə ]
Another spelling of amoeba.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.