protoctist

British

/ prəʊˈtɒktɪst /

noun

(in modern biological classifications) any unicellular or simple multicellular organism belonging to the kingdom Protoctista, which includes protozoans, algae, and slime moulds

"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

protoctist Scientific

/ prə-tŏk′tĭst /

See protist

Etymology

Origin of protoctist

C19: from New Latin protoctista, perhaps from Greek prototokos first born

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sex began when unfavorable seasonal changes in the environment caused our protoctist predecessors to engage in attempts at cannibalism that were only partially successful.

From Scientific American

From many partly digested cyanobacteria in a hungry protoctist, a new individual, the green alga cell, and ultimately the plant, evolved.

From Scientific American

Like our protoctist ancestors that evolved from symbioses among bacteria, kefir individuals arose from the physical association of 30 different kinds of microbes.

From Scientific American

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023