Protozoa

[ proh-tuh-zoh-uh ]

/ ˌproʊ təˈzoʊ ə /

a major grouping or superphylum of the kingdom Protista, comprising the protozoans.

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From New Latin, dating back to 1825–35; see origin at proto-, -zoa

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Most of the diseases in animals caused by bacteria and protozoa are not transmitted to man, but there is a conspicuous exception.
Disease and Its Causes|William Thomas Councilman
The protozoa are the most widely distributed and the most universal of the parasites.
Disease and Its Causes|William Thomas Councilman
A more tangible example of the Protozoa are the Foraminifera.
The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide|Augusta Foote Arnold
The parasites found in the bowel belong principally to two natural groups, Protozoa and Metazoa.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 4|Various

There are some other Protozoa in which the nucleus or kernel divides into many nuclei within the cell.
The Outline of Science, Vol. 1 (of 4)|J. Arthur Thomson

protozoa

[ prō′tə-zō′ə ]

Plural ofprotozoan

protozoa

[ (proh-tuh-zoh-uh) ]

Single-celled animals, such as amoebas, that are the most primitive form of animal life. In modern biology, they are classified in the kingdom of Protoctista rather than in the animal kingdom. (See Linnean classification.)

Some protozoa are parasites and may be pathogenic, causing diseases such as malaria and dysentery.