- a variation of ameba.
amoeba
Americannoun
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amoebas,
plural
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amoebae
plural
noun
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amoebas
plural
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The term amoeba is sometimes used to refer to something with an indefinite, changeable shape.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of amoeba
C19: from New Latin, from Greek amoibē change, from ameibein to change, exchange
Compare meaning
How does amoeba compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An amoeba is a tiny, single-celled organism. You need a powerful microscope to see an amoeba. An amoeba is distinguished by the fact that it has only one cell, and that the shape of its body is vague and irregular. An amoeba stretches and changes shape as it moves, and reproduces by splitting itself in two. The amoeba was discovered in 1757 and named almost 100 years later, from the Greek root amoibe, or "change."
Vocabulary lists containing amoeba
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
One of the best-known examples is Naegleria fowleri, sometimes called the brain eating amoeba.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 6, 2026
Its undulating form has earned its share of abuse, and it has been compared to a pancake or an amoeba.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
"It's not fungi, it's not a plant, it's not animal. It's more closely related to an amoeba," Barry explains.
From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025
In fact, they immediately set themselves on the task of pleasing Carol and those like her, along with solving the riddle of their immunity, so they can absorb the stragglers into their joy amoeba.
From Salon ● Nov. 26, 2025
I draw a sweeping abstract something that’s a cross between an amoeba and a manta ray with eyes and mouths in unexpected places.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
The researchers also warn that amoebae can act as living shelters for other harmful microbes.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 6, 2026
In a perspective published in the scientific journal Biocontaminant, researchers describe free living amoebae as an overlooked public health risk that needs far more attention.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 6, 2026
Most amoebae are harmless and play a role in natural ecosystems.
From Science Daily ● May 2, 2026
Scientists say one of the most concerning features of these amoebae is their ability to survive harsh conditions that would normally kill other microorganisms.
From Science Daily ● May 2, 2026
I suppose it all started when Lorraine and I and these two amoebae called Dennis Kobin and Norton Kelly were hot on those phone gags last September.
From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel
Visitors to Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada are being warned against submerging themselves in the hot springs below the Hoover Dam due to the risk of infection by deadly brain-eating amoebas.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 13, 2023
Most are microscopic, single-celled organisms like amoebas, algae, and diatoms, but larger multicellular protists exist -- such as kelp, slime moulds, and red algae.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2023
Although kelp behaves and looks like a plant, it’s a protist, the same group as single-cell amoebas.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 8, 2023
Although the ones they studied were infectious only to amoebas, the researchers said that there was a risk that other viruses trapped in the permafrost for millennia could spread to humans and other animals.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 2, 2022
Fadi added a few finishing touches to his drawings of amoebas and other single-celled micro-organisms, which the class had been reviewing.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
