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ciliate

 - 5 dictionary results

cil⋅i⋅ate

  [sil-ee-it, -eyt] Biology
Use ciliate in a Sentence
–noun
1. Also called cil⋅i⋅oph⋅o⋅ran  [sil-ee-of-er-uhn] . any protozoan of the phylum Ciliophora (or in some classification schemes, class Ciliata), as those of the genera Paramecium, Tetrahymena, Stentor, and Vorticella, having cilia on part or all of the surface.
–adjective
2. Also, cil⋅i⋅at⋅ed  [sil-ee-ey-tid] . having cilia.
3. belonging or pertaining to the phylum Ciliophora.
Origin:
1785–95; < NL ciliātus, equiv. to cili(a) cilia + -ātus -ate 1

Related forms:
cil⋅i⋅ate⋅ly, adverb
cil⋅i⋅a⋅tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To ciliate
cil·i·ate   (sĭl'ē-ĭt, -āt')   
adj.  Ciliated.
n.  Any of various protozoans of the class Ciliata, characterized by numerous cilia.
cil'i·ate·ly adv., cil'i·a'tion 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: cil·i·ate
Pronunciation: 'sil-E-&t, -E-"At
Function: noun
: any of the phylum Ciliophora of ciliate protozoans
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

ciliate cil·i·ate (sĭl'ē-ĭt, -āt')
n.
Any of various protozoans of the class Ciliata. adj.
Ciliated.

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

ciliate

any member of the protozoan phylum Ciliophora, of which there are some 8,000 species; ciliates are generally considered the most evolved and complex of protozoans. Ciliates are single-celled organisms that, at some stage in their life cycle, possess cilia, short hairlike organelles used for locomotion and food gathering

Learn more about ciliate with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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