ameba
or a·moe·ba
[ uh-mee-buh ]
/ əˈmi bə /
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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.
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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, adjectiveWords nearby ameba
AMD, A.M.D.G., am-dram, amdt., A.M.E., ameba, amebiasis, amebic, amebic abscess, amebic colitis, amebic dysentery
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use ameba in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ameba
Derived forms of ameba
amebic, adjectiveCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical 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.
Scientific 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.