eukaryotic
[ yoo-kar-ee-ot-ik ]
/ yuˌkær iˈɒt ɪk /
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adjective Biology.
of, relating to, or characteristic of a eukaryote, an organism whose basic structural unit is a cell containing specialized organelles and a membrane-bound nucleus: Some scientists believe that the greatest transition of life in the history of Earth is the evolution of eukaryotic cellular life forms from more primitive prokaryotes.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Sometimes eu·car·y·ot·ic .
Compare prokaryotic.
Origin of eukaryotic
First recorded in 1955–60; eukaryot(e) + -ic
Words nearby eukaryotic
euhemerism, euhemerize, Euhemerus, Eukaryota, eukaryote, eukaryotic, eukinetics, EULA, eulachon, Eulenspiegel, Euler
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023