ameba

or a·moe·ba

[ uh-mee-buh ]

noun

, plural a·me·bas, a·me·bae [uh, -, mee, -bee].

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.

ameba

/ əˈmiːbə /

noun

1. See amoeba
   the usual US spelling of amoeba

Derived Forms

• aˈmebic, adjective

Other Words From

• a·meba·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ameba¹

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

Example Sentences

Those are some dried specimens of ameba that I wish to study under a microscope.

From Project Gutenberg

Ameba are microorganisms of the simplest structure—a protoplasm which is constantly changing in shape.

From Project Gutenberg

The flood of dazzling light reaching out from the Interplanetarian snapped off and the little green ameba things were gone.

From Project Gutenberg

Some are simple like the ameba, others are very complex in structure.

From Project Gutenberg

The ameba solves this difficulty by dividing to form two amebæ.

From Project Gutenberg