amoeba

[uh-mee-buh]

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

ameba

or a·moe·ba

[uh-mee-buh]

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

Related Words for amoebae

animalculum, n, animalcule

Examples from the Web for amoebae

Historical Examples of amoebae

Studies on some Amoebae from the termite Mirotermes, with notes on some other protozoa from the Termitidae.
The Biotic Associations of Cockroaches
Louis M. Roth
You can figure things out in your own little head instead of just getting along on dum psionic luck like us amoebae.
Occasion for Disaster
Gordon Randall Garrett
Now, the Amoebae have neither a nervous system nor distinguishable organs of any kind.
The Life of the Bee
Maurice Maeterlinck
The amoebae are almost invariably found in the large intestine; one species, indeed, is termed Amoeba coli.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 4
Various

British Dictionary definitions for amoebae

ameba

noun plural -bae (-biː) or -bas

the usual US spelling of amoeba

Derived Formsamebic, adjective

amoeba

US ameba

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

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 amoebae

classical plural of amoeba; see -ae.

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.

amoebae in Medicine

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.

amoeba

[ə-mē′bə]

n.

Variant ofameba

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.

amoebae in Science

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.

ameba

[ə-mē′bə]

Another spelling of amoeba.

amoebae in Culture

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.