any freshwater protozoan of the genus Paramecium, having an oval body covered with cilia and a ventral ciliated groove for feeding: phylum Ciliophora (ciliates)
Word origin
C18: New Latin, from Greek paramēkēs elongated, from para-1 + mēkos length
any of a genus (Paramecium) of one-celled, elongated, slipper-shaped ciliates moving by means of cilia and having a backward-curving oral groove that ends with the mouth
Word origin
ModL < Gr paramēkēs, oval < para-, para-1 + mēkos, length, akin to makros, long: see macro-