protozoan
noun
pro·to·zo·an
| \ ˌprō-tə-ˈzō-ən
\
\
Definition of protozoan
: any of a phylum or subkingdom (Protozoa) of chiefly motile and heterotrophic unicellular protists (such as amoebas, trypanosomes, sporozoans, and paramecia) that are represented in almost every kind of habitat and include some pathogenic parasites of humans and domestic animals
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Examples of protozoan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The rest belong to micro-organisms — bacteria, fungi, protozoans and viruses — that are on and inside you. — Fortune, "Why Washing Your Hands Too Much Could Make You Sick," 12 June 2018 The National Parasite Collection, which includes millions of specimens of lice, mites, nematodes, protozoans, ticks and other critters, arrived from the Agriculture Department in 2014. — Daniel Nasaw, WSJ, "Tight at the Museum: A Smithsonian Struggles to Find Space for the World’s Stuff," 7 June 2018 Researchers also discovered that mitochondria were shared not only by all animals but also by plants, fungi, and protozoans — one of the main branches of life, known as eukaryotes. — Carl Zimmer, STAT, "Shot through with microbes: How our bodies adapt to a hidden world of bacteria," 30 May 2018 While taking care of bacteria and protozoa are nice, the smaller viruses will quickly ruin your dream vacation. — Ashlea Halpern, Slate Magazine, "The Best Travel Gifts," 8 Dec. 2017 Flies Many species feed on decaying organic matter and waste and have been responsible for transmission of bacterial and protozoan pathogens including: E. coli and salmonella. — Kurt Snibbe, Orange County Register, "Bad bugs to watch out for in Southern California," 27 Apr. 2017 The rabbit was tested and treated for a protozoan infection. — Andy Newman, New York Times, "The Doctor Will See Your Iguana Now," 12 May 2017 A lot of alarming things can be found in bed bugs; over 45 different potential human disease agents are known, including bacteria, viruses (Hepatitis B), worms, and protozoans (like the trypanosomes in the new paper). — Gwen Pearson, WIRED, "Bed Bugs Won’t Give You Chagas Disease (probably)," 18 Nov. 2014These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'protozoan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for protozoan
protozoan
noun
English Language Learners Definition of protozoan
: a tiny organism whose body is a single cell
See the full definition for protozoan in the English Language Learners Dictionary
protozoan
noun
pro·to·zo·an
| \ ˌprō-tə-ˈzō-ən
\
\
Kids Definition of protozoan
: a single-celled organism (as an amoeba or paramecium) that is a protist and is capable of movement
protozoan
noun
pro·to·zo·an
| \ -ˈzō-ən
\
\
Medical Definition of protozoan
(Entry 1 of 2)
: any protist of the phylum or subkingdom Protozoa
protozoan
adjectiveMedical Definition of protozoan (Entry 2 of 2)
: of or relating to the phylum or subkingdom Protozoa
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