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vorticella

[ vawr-tuh-sel-uh ]
/ ˌvɔr təˈsɛl ə /

noun, plural vor·ti·cel·lae [vawr-tuh-sel-ee], /ˌvɔr təˈsɛl i/, vor·ti·cel·las.

any ciliated protozoan of the genus Vorticella, having a transparent, bell-shaped body with a retractile stalk.

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Origin of vorticella

From New Latin, dating back to 1780–90; see origin at vortex, -ella

Words nearby vorticella

vortex ring, vortex shedding, vortex street, vortex vein, vortical, vorticella, vorticism, vorticity, vorticose, vortiginous, Vortumnus
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for vorticella

British Dictionary definitions for vorticella

vorticella
/ (ˌvɔːtɪˈsɛlə) /

noun plural -lae (-liː)

any protozoan of the genus Vorticella, consisting of a goblet-shaped ciliated cell attached to the substratum by a long contractile stalk

Word Origin for vorticella

C18: from New Latin, literally: a little eddy, from vortex
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