amoeba

[ uh-mee-buh ]

/ əˈmi bə /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR amoeba ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural a·moe·bas, a·moe·bae [uh-mee-bee] /əˈmi bi/.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

amniotic fold, amniotic sac, amniotome, amniotomy, amobarbital, amoeba, amoebae, amoebaean, amoebiasis, amoebic, amoebic dysentery

Definition for amoeba (2 of 2)

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.

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for amoeba

I was invited to see Paul when he performed at a very intimate gig at Amoeba Records in L.A. a few years ago.
Why We Heart John Lennon|Martin Lewis, Harvey Weinstein|October 8, 2010|DAILY BEAST
A note on the amoeba of the cockroach cultivated by Smith and Barret.
The Biotic Associations of Cockroaches|Louis M. Roth
An amoeba by direct division can separate into two distinct new animals in ten minutes.
The Ethics of Medical Homicide and Mutilation|Austin O'Malley
Man has developed out of the animals, and there is no serious gap between him and the amoeba.
The Analysis of Mind|Bertrand Russell

It was an amoeba, another of those single-celled, protoplasmic mounds of flesh.
Astounding Stories, April, 1931|Various
Amoeboid: applied to movements similar to those of an amoeba.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology|John. B. Smith

British Dictionary definitions for amoeba (1 of 2)

amoeba

US ameba

/ (əˈmiːbə) /

noun plural -bae (-biː) or -bas

any protozoan of the phylum Rhizopoda, esp any of the genus Amoeba, able to change shape because of the movements of cell processes (pseudopodia). They live in fresh water or soil or as parasites in man and animals

Derived Formsamoebic or US amebic, adjective

Word Origin for amoeba

C19: from New Latin, from Greek amoibē change, from ameibein to change, exchange

British Dictionary definitions for amoeba (2 of 2)

ameba

/ (əˈmiːbə) /

noun plural -bae (-biː) or -bas

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

Word Origin and History for amoeba

amoeba

1855, from Modern Latin Amoeba, genus name (1841), from Greek amoibe "change," related to ameibein "to change, exchange," from PIE *e-meigw-, extended form of root *mei- "to change, go, move" (see mutable). So called for its constantly changing shape. Related: Amoebaean; amoebic.

Medicine definitions for amoeba (1 of 3)

amoeba

[ ə-mē′bə ]

n.

Variant ofameba

Medicine definitions for amoeba (2 of 3)

Amoeba

[ ə-mē′bə ]

n. pl. a•moe•bas

A genus of protozoa of the class Sarcodina or Rhizopoda.

Any of several genera of protozoa that are parasitic in humans, especially Entamoeba.

Medicine definitions for amoeba (3 of 3)

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.

Science definitions for amoeba (1 of 2)

amoeba

[ ə-mē′bə ]

Plural amoebas amoebae (ə-mē′bē)

Any of various one-celled aquatic or parasitic protozoans of the genus Amoeba or related genera, having no definite form and consisting of a mass of protoplasm containing one or more nuclei surrounded by a flexible outer membrane. Amoebas move by means of pseudopods.

Science definitions for amoeba (2 of 2)

ameba

[ ə-mē′bə ]

Another spelling of amoeba.

Culture definitions for amoeba

amoeba

[ (uh-mee-buh) ]

An animal composed of only one cell that has no fixed shape. It is the best known of the single-celled animals, or protozoa.

Note

The term amoeba is sometimes used to refer to something with an indefinite, changeable shape.