Nearby Words

amoebas

[uh-mee-buh] Origin

a·moe·ba

[uh-mee-buh]
noun, plural -bas, -bae [-bee] .
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

amoeba
1855, from Mod.L. genus name (1841), from Gk. amoibe "change," related to ameibein "to change, exchange," from PIE *e-meigw-, extended form of base *mei- "to change, go, move" (see mutable). So called for its constantly changing shape.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

Amoeba A·moe·ba (ə-mē'bə)
n. pl. a·moe·bas or a·moe·bae (-bē)

  1. A genus of protozoa of the class Sarcodina or Rhizopoda.

  2. Any of several genera of protozoa that are parasitic in humans, especially Entamoeba.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
amoeba   (ə-mē'bə)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural amoebas or amoebae (ə-mē'bē)
Any of various one-celled aquatic or parasitic protozoans of the genus Amoeba or related genera, having no definite form and consisting of a mass of protoplasm containing one or more nuclei surrounded by a flexible outer membrane. Amoebas move by means of pseudopods.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
amoeba [(uh-mee-buh)]

An animal composed of only one cell that has no fixed shape. It is the best known of the single-celled animals, or protozoa.

Note: The term amoeba is sometimes used to refer to something with an indefinite, changeable shape.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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