energidn.
/ɛˈnəːdʒɪd/, U.S. /ɛˈnərdʒɪd/, /əˈnərdʒɪd/ Biology.
Originally: the nucleus and cytoplasm of a cell, regarded together as its living element. In later use: each nucleus and its surrounding cytoplasm in a syncytium, regarded together as a unit.
ΚΠ
1892 Jrnl. Royal Microsc. Soc. 381 The vital properties do not reside in the cell-nucleus alone, nor in the protoplasm alone which surrounds it, but in the two together; and to this compound structure he [sc. Prof. J. Sachs] proposes to apply the term energid.
1897 Nat. Sci. Dec. 393 The distinguishing characteristic of an energid is the living element (protoplasm and nucleus), whilst that of a cell is the membrane.
1922 A. G. Tansley Elem. Plant Biol. vi. 97 In non-cellular living structures the energids are not separated by clear boundaries.
1965 P. Bell & D. Coombe tr. Strasburger's Textbk. Bot. (new ed.) 14 It can be envisaged that each nucleus has its own volume of protoplasm. The term ‘energid’ has been suggested for these physiological units lacking morphological delimitation.
2002 J. L. Nation Insect Physiol. & Biochem. i. 8 Energids gradually move toward the periphery of the egg and form the blastoderm.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2018; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1892