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 amoebae
Historical Examples
Studies on some Amoebae from the termite Mirotermes, with notes on some other protozoa from the Termitidae.
The Biotic Associations of CockroachesLouis 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 DisasterGordon Randall Garrett
Now, the Amoebae have neither a nervous system nor distinguishable organs of any kind.
The Life of the BeeMaurice Maeterlinck
The amoebae are almost invariably found in the large intestine; one species, indeed, is termed Amoeba coli.
ameba
- the usual US spelling of amoeba
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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
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
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
ameba
- A protozoa of the genus Amoeba and of related genera, occurring in soil and water and parasitic in animals.
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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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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.