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Definition of PROTISTAN - 4 dictionary results

pro⋅tist

  [proh-tist]
Use PROTISTAN in a Sentence
–noun
any of various one-celled organisms, classified in the kingdom Protista, that are either free-living or aggregated into simple colonies and that have diverse reproductive and nutritional modes, including the protozoans, eukaryotic algae, and slime molds: some classification schemes also include the fungi and the more primitive bacteria and blue-green algae or may distribute the organisms between the kingdoms Plantae and Animalia according to dominant characteristics.
Origin:
1885–90; < NL Protista (neut. pl.) name of the kingdom < Gk prtistos (masc. sing.) the very first, superl. of prôtos first; see proto-

Related forms:
pro⋅tis⋅tan  [proh-tis-tuhn] , adjective, noun
pro⋅tis⋅tic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pro·tist   (prō'tĭst)   
n.  

  1. Any of a group of eukaryotic organisms belonging to the kingdom Protista according to some widely used modern taxonomic systems. The protists include a variety of unicellular, coenocytic, colonial, and multicellular organisms, such as the protozoans, slime molds, brown algae, and red algae.

  2. A unicellular protoctist in taxonomic systems in which the protoctists are considered to form a kingdom.


[From New Latin Prōtista, former kingdom name, from Greek prōtista, neuter pl. of prōtistos, the very first, superlative of prōtos, first; see per1 in Indo-European roots.]
pro·tis'tan (-tĭs'tən) adj. & n., pro'tis·tol'o·gy (prō'tĭ-stŏl'ə-jē) n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: pro·tist
Pronunciation: 'prOt-&st, 'prO-"tist
Function: noun
: any of a major taxonomic group and usually a kingdom (Protista) ofunicellular, colonial, or multicellular eukaryotic organisms including especially the protozoans and algae —pro·tis·tan /prO-'tis-t&n/ adjective ornoun
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

protist pro·tist (prō'tĭst)
n.
A unicellular, eukaroytic organism belonging to the former taxonomic kingdom Protista.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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