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paramecium

Syllabification: (par·a·me·ci·um)
Pronunciation: /ˌparəˈmēSH(ē)əm, -sēəm/

Definition of paramecium

noun

Zoology
  • a single-celled freshwater animal that has a characteristic slipperlike shape and is covered with cilia.
    • Genus Paramecium, phylum Ciliophora, kingdom Protista

Origin:

mid 18th century: modern Latin, from Greek paramēkēs 'oval', from para- 'against' + mēkos 'length'

paramecium in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of paramecium in the British & World English dictionary

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