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Synonyms

Protozoa

American  
[proh-tuh-zoh-uh] / ˌproʊ təˈzoʊ ə /

noun

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


protozoa Cultural  
  1. 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.)


Discover More

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

Etymology

Origin of Protozoa

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

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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.

See Examples For:

A24 secured the rights to Walter Isaacson's biography on the world's richest person, according to the source, who added the Musk biopic will be produced by Aronofsky's production company, Protozoa Pictures.

From Reuters Nov. 10, 2023

Private investors came aboard, as did executive producer Darren Aronofsky and his Protozoa Pictures, allowing the filmmakers to tell the tough and at times bleak story they wanted without pulling any punches.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 1, 2022

“You are all Protozoa experts equipped to judge and advise me, right?”

From New York Times Dec. 5, 2015

The Royal Court season opens with Bruce Norris's satire Clybourne Park, and the Red Room's temporary venue, the Jellyfish, has Simon Wu's Oikos to be followed in mid-September by Kay Adshead's Protozoa.

From The Guardian Aug. 27, 2010

The same considerations apply indeed to the larger parasitic organisms among Sporozoa, such as Gregarines and Myxosporidia and Dolichosporidia, which are giants among Protozoa.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 4 "Finland" to "Fleury, Andre" by Various

The host of life on ice includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, even microscopic animals like nematodes, some dead and some alive in suspended animation.

From Salon Apr. 24, 2025

Bottom line: If you must have tropical milkweed, cut it down to the ground each fall before it goes to seed, to kill any overwintering protozoa and reduce its potential to spread to neighboring areas.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 30, 2023

Food turns into compost through the hard work of small microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and protozoa.

From National Geographic Sep. 26, 2023

You should make sure that you use only distilled, sterile or boiled water for your rinses, as tap water can contain small amounts of bacteria and protozoa that carry the risk of other infections.

From Seattle Times Oct. 31, 2022

Far from recognizing that protozoa were different in character from larger organisms, Leeuwenhoek’s work seemed to imply that they were the same.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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