ameba

or a·moe·ba

[ uh-mee-buh ]

/ əˈmi bə /

Save This Word!

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.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of ameba

From New Latin amoeba, from Greek amoibḗ “change, alternation,”, akin to ameíbein “to exchange”

OTHER WORDS FROM ameba

a·me·ba·like, adjective

Words nearby ameba

AMD, A.M.D.G., am-dram, amdt., A.M.E., ameba, amebiasis, amebic, amebic dysentery, amebocyte, ameboid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ameba in a sentence

Those are some dried specimens of ameba that I wish to study under a microscope.
Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line|Clarence Young
Ameba are microorganisms of the simplest structure—a protoplasm which is constantly changing in shape.
Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Firing Line|Clarence Young
The flood of dazzling light reaching out from the Interplanetarian snapped off and the little green ameba things were gone.
Empire|Clifford Donald Simak
Some are simple like the ameba, others are very complex in structure.
Being Well-Born|Michael F. Guyer

The ameba solves this difficulty by dividing to form two amebæ.
Being Well-Born|Michael F. Guyer

British Dictionary definitions for ameba

ameba

/ (əˈmiːbə) /

noun plural -bae (-biː) or -bas

the usual US spelling of amoeba

Derived forms of ameba

amebic, 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

Scientific definitions for ameba

ameba

[ ə-mē′bə ]

Another spelling of amoeba.

ameba

or a·moe·ba

Origin of ameba

OTHER WORDS FROM ameba

Words nearby ameba

Words related to ameba

How to use ameba in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ameba

Derived forms of ameba

Scientific definitions for ameba