protozoon

pro·to·zo·an

P0618600 (prō′tə-zō′ən) also pro·to·zo·on (-ŏn′)n. pl. pro·to·zo·ans or pro·to·zo·a (-zō′ə) also pro·to·zo·ons Any of numerous chiefly single-celled eukaryotic organisms, most of which move about freely and ingest food, including the amoebas, ciliates, flagellates, and apicomplexans. Protozoans along with certain algae, oomycetes, and some other groups make up the protists.

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[From New Latin Prōtozōa, former subkingdom name : proto- + -zōa, pl. of -zōon, -zoon.]

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pro′to·zo′an, pro′to·zo′al, pro′to·zo′ic adj.

protozoon

(ˌprəʊtəˈzəʊɒn) n (Biology) another name for protozoan¹

pro•to•zo•an

(ˌproʊ təˈzoʊ ən)

n., pl. -zo•ans, (esp. collectively) -zo•a (-ˈzoʊ ə)
adj. n. 1. any of various one-celled protist organisms that usu. obtain nourishment by ingesting food particles rather than by photosynthesis: classified as the superphylum Protozoa encompassing separate phyla according to means of movement, as by pseudopod, flagella, or cilia. adj. 2. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a protozoan. [1860–65; < New Latin Protozo(a) (see proto-, -zoa) + -an¹]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

protozoon - any of diverse minute acellular or unicellular organisms usually nonphotosyntheticprotozoanprotoctist - any of the unicellular protistsphylum Protozoa, Protozoa - in some classifications considered a superphylum or a subkingdom; comprises flagellates; ciliates; sporozoans; amoebas; foraminiferssarcodine, sarcodinian - protozoa that move and capture food by forming pseudopodsrhizopod, rhizopodan - protozoa characterized by a pseudopodarcella - an amoeba-like protozoan with a chitinous shell resembling an umbrelladifflugia - a protozoan with an ovoid shell of cemented sand grainsciliate, ciliated protozoan, ciliophoran - a protozoan with a microscopic appendage extending from the surface of the celleuglena - minute single-celled green freshwater organism having a single flagella; often classed as algaeflagellate, flagellate protozoan, flagellated protozoan, mastigophoran, mastigophore - a usually nonphotosynthetic free-living protozoan with whiplike appendages; some are pathogens of humans and other animalsplantlike flagellate - unicellular organisms having many characteristics of typical algaesporozoan - parasitic spore-forming protozoancytostome - mouth of a protozoan

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