cryptozoan.
/ˌkrɪptə(ʊ)ˈzəʊə/, U.S. /ˌkrɪptəˈzoʊə/ With plural agreement.† 1. Biology. With capital initial. A class of organisms comprising microscopic forms; protozoa. Obsolete. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > invertebrates > protozoa > [noun]
cryptozoa1794
Protozoa1825
oozoa1835
hypozoa1887
1794 Monthly Rev. Mar. 328 His [sc. Modéer's] first class..is distinguished by the appellation of Cryptozoa, containing animalcula which cannot be discerned without a microscope, and which are found in vegetable infusions, or in animal fluids.
2. Ecology. Cryptozoic animals collectively.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > by habitat > [noun] > of a particular region (fauna) > of particular type
ophiology1815
inquiline1879
pilgrim1888
microfauna1895
topomorph1897
faunule1909
cryptozoa1911
epifauna1914
macrofauna1918
megafauna1927
macrobenthos1942
meiobenthos1942
microbenthos1942
meiofauna1950
megafauna1975
1911 A. Willey Convergence in Evol. iii. 29 It is not possible to tabulate lists of phanerozoa and cryptozoa, because all animals have cryptozoic potentialities.
1968 Sci. Amer. July 108/1 They are examples of the many small animals that lead hidden lives; they are some of the cryptozoa, the animals in hiding.
1997 Ann. Rev. Ecol. & Systematics 28 261 How well can molecular methods survey groups other than bacteria (e.g., protists and soil cryptozoa)?
2004 D. C. Coleman et al. Fund. Soil Ecol. (ed. 2) iv. 143 Terrestrial isopods..are crustaceans, but are typical cryptozoa, occurring under rocks and in similar habitats.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1794