paramecium
[ par-uh-mee-shee-uhm, -shuhm, -see-uhm ]
/ ˌpær əˈmi ʃi əm, -ʃəm, -si əm /
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noun, plural par·a·me·ci·a [par-uh-mee-shee-uh, -shuh, -see-uh]. /ˌpær əˈmi ʃi ə, -ʃə, -si ə/.
any ciliated freshwater protozoan of the genus Paramecium, having an oval body and a long, deep oral groove.
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Origin of paramecium
Words nearby paramecium
paramagnetism, Paramaribo, paramastitis, Paramatman, paramatta, paramecium, paramedic, paramedical, paramenia, parament, paramesonephric duct
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for paramecium
British Dictionary definitions for paramecium
paramecium
/ (ˌpærəˈmiːsɪəm) /
noun plural -cia (-sɪə)
any freshwater protozoan of the genus Paramecium, having an oval body covered with cilia and a ventral ciliated groove for feeding: phylum Ciliophora (ciliates)
Word Origin for paramecium
C18: New Latin, from Greek paramēkēs elongated, from para- 1 + mēkos length
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical definitions for paramecium
Paramecium
[ păr′ə-mē′shē-əm, -sē-əm ]
n.
A genus of freshwater ciliate protozoans, characteristically slipper-shaped and covered with cilia, and commonly used for genetic research and other studies.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for paramecium
paramecium
[ păr′ə-mē′sē-əm ]
Plural paramecia parameciums
Any of various freshwater protozoans of the genus Paramecium that are usually oval in shape and that move by means of cilia. Although they consist of a single cell, paramecia are large enough to be visible to the naked eye. Like other ciliates, paramecia contain two nuclei, a macronucleus and a micronucleus. On the cellular surface is a groove that opens into a gullet, into which food particles are absorbed.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.