flagellate

American  

[flaj-uh-leyt, flaj-uh-lit, -leyt] / ˈflædʒ əˌleɪt, ˈflædʒ ə lɪt, -ˌleɪt /

verb (used with object)

flagellated, flagellating

1. to whip; scourge; flog; lash.

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adjective

1. Biology. Also flagellated having flagella.

2. Botany. producing filiform runners or runnerlike branches, as the strawberry.

3. pertaining to or caused by flagellates.

noun

1. any protozoan of the phylum (or class) Mastigophora, having one or more flagella.

flagellate British  

verb

1. (tr) to whip; scourge; flog

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adjective

1. possessing one or more flagella

2. resembling a flagellum; whiplike

noun

1. a flagellate organism, esp any protozoan of the phylum Zoomastigina

flagellate Scientific  

/ flăj′ə-lāt′ /

1. Any of various protozoans of the subphylum Mastigophora that move by means of one or more flagella. Some flagellates can make food by photosynthesis (such as euglenas and volvox), and are often classified as green algae by botanists. Others are symbiotic or parasitic (such as trypanosomes). Flagellates are related to amoebas.

2. Also called mastigophoran

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Other Word Forms

• flagellation noun
• flagellator noun
• flagellatory adjective
• multiflagellate adjective
• multiflagellated adjective
• nonflagellate adjective
• nonflagellated adjective
• preflagellate adjective
• preflagellated adjective

Etymology

Origin of flagellate

1615–25; < Latin flagellātus, past participle of flagellāre to whip. See flagellum, -ate ¹

Example Sentences

The altered microbiota included higher levels of flagellated bacteria, which are known to activate the immune system and promote inflammation.

From Science Daily

The amoeboid cells of R. marina, characterized by their near immobility, can produce flagellated cells with two rearward-extending flagella through budding under conditions of prey scarcity.

From Science Daily

But she also didn’t flagellate herself for the struggle.

From Washington Post

"This feeding mode is unique, and demonstrates how pico-sized flagellates can feed on larger cells, which is often not considered in the modelling of microbial food webs."

From Salon

In some poems below, the word works both with the faux meaning and the real one, like “flagellate” to hit with a flag.

From Washington Post