slime mould

British

noun

any of various simple spore-producing organisms typically found as slimy masses on rotting vegetation, where they engulf food particles by amoeboid movements. Formerly regarded as fungi, they are now classified as protoctists of the phyla Myxomycota (true, or cellular slime moulds) or Acrasiomycota (plasmodial 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

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:

slime mould

The RHS says slime mould has been used in some "incredible practical applications", including urban transport mapping simulations and in the search for dark matter.

From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025

His photography focuses on the fruiting bodies of the slime mould, where the colour and drama are most intense, and from where spores are released.

From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025

Barry said he "didn't know they existed" before he was introduced to the world of slime mould in 2019.

From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025

A 1mm tall slime mould was the subject of Barry Webb's winning picture.

From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2024

Likewise, the slime mould growing in damp fields and forests all around us can exhibit remarkably coordinated behaviour.

From Open Source Democracy by Rushkoff, Douglas

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