amoeba
[uh-mee-buh]
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ameba
or a·moe·ba
[uh-mee-buh]
- 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
< New Latin amoeba < Greek amoibḗ change, alternation, akin to ameíbein to exchange
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for amoeba
Contemporary Examples
I was invited to see Paul when he performed at a very intimate gig at Amoeba Records in L.A. a few years ago.
Historical Examples
If an amoeba is that large here, what must an elephant look like?
We dropped the ship a few feet but the amoeba did not follow.
It resembled the amoeba which had attacked us, except that the newcomer was red.
It is I—this amoeba, who am addressing you—children of an alien universe.
Amoeboid: applied to movements similar to those of an amoeba.
Explanation of Terms Used in EntomologyJohn. B. Smith
amoeba
US ameba
- 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
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Word Origin
C19: from New Latin, from Greek amoibē change, from ameibein to change, exchange
ameba
- the usual US spelling of amoeba
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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
n.
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.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
amoeba
(ə-mē′bə)- Variant ofameba
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Amoeba
(ə-mē′bə)- A genus of protozoa of the class Sarcodina or Rhizopoda.
- Any of several genera of protozoa that are parasitic in humans, especially Entamoeba.
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ameba
- A protozoa of the genus Amoeba and of related genera, occurring in soil and water and parasitic in animals.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
amoeba
[ə-mē′bə]
- 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.
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ameba
[ə-mē′bə]
- Another spelling of amoeba.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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.
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Note
The term amoeba is sometimes used to refer to something with an indefinite, changeable shape.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.