monad
[ mon-ad, moh-nad ]
/ ˈmɒn æd, ˈmoʊ næd /
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noun
Biology.
- any simple, single-celled organism.
- any of various small, flagellate, colorless ameboids with one to three flagella, especially of the genus Monas.
Chemistry. an element, atom, or group having a valence of one.Compare dyad (def. 3), triad (def. 2a).
Philosophy.
- (in the metaphysics of Leibniz) an unextended, indivisible, and indestructible entity that is the basic or ultimate constituent of the universe and a microcosm of it.
- (in the philosophy of Giordano Bruno) a basic and irreducible metaphysical unit that is spatially and psychically individuated.
- any basic metaphysical entity, especially having an autonomous life.
a single unit or entity.
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Origin of monad
OTHER WORDS FROM monad
mo·nad·ic [muh-nad-ik], /məˈnæd ɪk/, mo·nad·i·cal, mo·nad·al, adjectivemo·nad·i·cal·ly, adverbWords nearby monad
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for monad
British Dictionary definitions for monad
monad
/ (ˈmɒnæd, ˈməʊ-) /
noun
plural -ads or -ades (-əˌdiːz) philosophy
- any fundamental singular metaphysical entity, esp if autonomous
- (in the metaphysics of Leibnitz) a simple indestructible nonspatial element regarded as the unit of which reality consists
- (in the pantheistic philosophy of Giordano Bruno) a fundamental metaphysical unit that is spatially extended and psychically aware
a single-celled organism, esp a flagellate protozoan
an atom, ion, or radical with a valency of one
Also called (for senses 1, 2): monas
Derived forms of monad
monadical, adjectivemonadically, adverbWord Origin for monad
C17: from Late Latin monas, from Greek: unit, from monos alone
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical definitions for monad
monad
[ mō′năd′ ]
n.
An atom or a radical with a valence of 1.
A single-celled microorganism, especially a protozoan of the genus Monas.
Any of the four chromatids of a tetrad that, after the first and second meiotic divisions, separate to become the chromosomal material in each of the four daughter cells.
Other words from monad
mo•nad′ic (mə-năd′ik) null adj.The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.